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With the Three Lions into the last four for the first time in 28 years, Goal compares Gareth Southgate's cubs to Bobby Robson's star-studded side

Getty Images1GK: Shilton vs Pickford

Peter Shilton is an England legend, one of the finest goalkeepers the country has ever produced. However, by Italia '90, he was 40 and no longer at his brilliant best, as underlined by his poor performances in the semi-final loss to West Germany and the third-place play-off with Italy.

By contrast, Jordan Pickford is a young goalkeeper on the rise.

The 24-year-old was considered a potential weak link in the current squad but has instead become one of England's World Cup heroes, after his crucial penalty save from Colombia's Carlos Bacca and man of the match-winning performance against Sweden. 

If we were evaluating their overall ability or respective careers, Shilton would be the obvious choice. But, given this is about their respective form at the World Cups in question…

Winner: Pickford

AdvertisementGetty Images2RWB: Parker vs Trippier

One of the hardest choices on the team.

Paul Parker was a fantastically reliable defender and excelled after being moved to right wing-back following England's World Cup opener against Republic of Ireland. 

However, Kieran Trippier has been a revelation in Russia, proving not only defensively sound but also a real asset going forward.

Indeed, no other defender has created more chances (13) than the Tottenham ace, whose dead-ball deliveries have played a pivotal role in the Three Lions' success.

Winner: Trippier

Getty Images3RCB: Des Walker vs Kyle Walker

The battle of the Walkers!

Des was an excellent defender, whose brain was as quick as his feet. An excellent man-marker (Nottingham Forest fans used to sing, "You'll never beat Des Walker!"), he was immaculate in almost each and every game at the 1990 World Cup.

After proving an excellent addition to Manchester City's title-winning squad last season, namesake Kyle has had a fine tournament in Russia, underlining his versatility and excellent footballing skills by switching seamlessly from right-back to centre-half to facilitate Southgate's use of a three-man defence.

However, Des gets the nod because this was his natural position.

Winner: Des Walker

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Getty Images4CB: Wright vs Stones

Mark Wright didn't play a minute of England's qualifying campaign for the 1990 World Cup yet he proved a key man in Italy, after Bobby Robson's crucial decision to switch to a three-man backline after an uninspired performance against Ireland in their tournament opener.

A tall, elegant defender with a wide range of passing, Wright revelled in the sweeper role and it was also his goal, against Egypt, that saw the Three Lions progress as group winners. 

John Stones is another classy ball-playing defender whose propensity for lapses in concentration has not been seen at all during an almost flawless campaign in Russia that has also featured two goals, against Panama.

However, when it comes to overall influence, there's only one possible victor…

Winner: Wright

Ireland’s seam bowler Craig Young has joined Hampshire on a short-term loan deal in their first response to a crippling early-season injury crisis

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2016Ireland’s seam bowler Craig Young has joined Hampshire on a short-term loan deal in their first response to a crippling early-season injury crisis.Young, 26, will get an outing in Hampshire’s Second XI Championship match against Somerset at the Ageas Bowl, starting on Monday, in the hope of forcing himself into contention for the home Championship match against Middlesex on May 1.Young was previously on the books at Sussex but had a frustrating time with injuries and never graduated beyond 2nd XI cricket. He has played 24 times for Ireland across three formats.Ireland coach John Bracewell said: “Craig will continue his progression as one of Ireland’s front-line bowlers after a very good spell, especially over the last 12 months.”With the North-West Warriors not having any championship cricket until late May and Ireland not in action until June, we feel the timing is ideal for Craig and hope he can aid Hampshire’s significant injury problems.”Young said: “The request has come from completely left field. But it’s great to be given a chance, which I hope I can grab with both hands.”Two years ago, he suggested that he had the pace and bounce to fill the void left for Ireland by Boyd Rankin. He took five wickets on ODI debut, against Scotland, and was Ireland’s top wicket-taker on a World Cup acclimatisation tour in Australia and New Zealand.Hampshire’s current injury crisis includes fast-bowler Fidel Edwards, who suffered a fractured ankle at Headingley this week whilst fellow seamers Reece Topley, Gareth Berg and Ryan Stevenson are all still not available for selection due to injury.Hampshire’s director of cricket Giles White told The Echo: “Craig comes as a recommendation from John Bracewell and, in light of the current injury problems we have, this gives us a good opportunity to take a closer look at him.”

The Scotland international was the most unlikely of heroes as the Red Devils pulled off an improbable comeback win after a dire overall display

As Alex Ferguson once said: "Football, bloody hell". On the day Old Trafford paid tribute to Ferguson's late wife Cathy, Manchester United pulled off the type of epic comeback they became famous for under the legendary Scottish manager.

And this time the hero was a Scotland international: Scott McTominay. The midfielder had only come off the bench in the 87th minute and his entrance looked like a desperate move from Erik ten Hag, who was on the verge of becoming the first manager to lose three games in a row at Old Trafford since Matt Busby in 1962.

But it proved an inspired change as McTominay pulled United level in the 92nd minute then headed home a Harry Maguire cross in the 96th minute, sending a disbelieving Old Trafford wild.

The win was all the harder to digest as United had played so poorly. They had given away a soft goal by Mathias Jensen after sloppy giveaway from Casemiro and a botched clearance by Victor Lindelof. Even leaving aside that poor goal, they had looked utterly void of belief and inspiration.

But McTominay, a boy made in United's academy, saved the day. And he may have saved Ten Hag's job as well.

GOAL rates Man United's players from an ecstatic Old Trafford…

Getty Goalkeeper & Defence

Andre Onana (5/10):

Made a real mess of the goal but made a couple of good saves in the second half.

Diogo Dalot (5/10):

One of very few players who looked like they could do something in attack.

Victor Lindelof (4/10):

Uncomfortable at left-back but it was from his usual position that he scuffed a clearance straight back to Brentford for the goal.

Harry Maguire (5/10):

Made his first league start of the season and looked shorn of confidence even though he didn't actually play that badly and set up the winner.

Jonny Evans (5/10):

Didn't do anything particularly bad but an obvious downgrade on the injured Raphael Varane.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Mason Mount (5/10):

Worked hard but had very little tangible impact. His set-pieces were poor and could barely get a shot on goal or make a decent cross.

Casemiro (3/10):

Cumbersome in possession and lethargic out of it. Gave the ball away for the goal and could barely keep hold of it. Deservedly hooked at half-time.

Sofyan Amrabat (4/10):

Made his first start in midfield after getting progressively worse at left-back. Didn't offer much of an improvement.

Getty Attack

Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

At least showed desire and offered some hope of a goal. Forced 'keeper Thomas Strakosha to make two fine saves.

Rasmus Hojlund (4/10):

A huge drop off from Tuesday's striker's masterclass. Mistimed a first-half header which proved to be his only real chance.

Marcus Rashford (4/10):

His worst performance of the season. Didn't create even a hint of danger and looked utterly lost. Taken off for the third game in a row.

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GettySubs & Manager

Christian Eriksen (6/10):

An improvement on Casemiro and his passing gave the team some grip in midfield.

Alejandro Garnacho (7/10):

Showed his usual fighting spirit and gave the team some much needed spark. Helped set up the equaliser.

Antony (6/10):

Battled and ran hard but as usual had no end product. His every touch was booed by Brentford fans.

Anthony Martial (6/10):

Gave Hojlund support for the final 20 minutes.

Scott McTominay (10/10):

Only came on in the 87th minute but saved the day. Twice.

Erik ten Hag (7/10):

His substitutions paid off at last and he enjoyed his best comeback win of his two seasons in charge.

Rohit Sharma believes opening the batting improves his game and has welcomed competition for that spot in the Indian one-day side

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2014India batsman Rohit Sharma believes opening improves his game and has welcomed competition for that spot in the ODI side. Since Rohit was sidelined with finger and shoulder injuries in September, Ajinkya Rahane has stepped in and has performed well at the top.”Competition will always be good for the game,” Rohit told . “Guys will try harder and produce good results. Personally, I am not even thinking (about competition) as I have a lot of other things to do like get fit first and work my way back onto the field.”Rahane was “very well-suited to do the opening job” according to his captain MS Dhoni. He has occupied that position for a majority of his domestic career and a collected a maiden ODI century in England as well. Rohit, though, was converted into an opening batsman in January 2013 and the move brought about resurgence in his career. He averages 43.20 from 39 innings as opener compared to an average of 31.72 in 79 innings at other positions.”As an opener, you have to be a little more cautious with the two new balls moving around,” he said. “The ball does quite a bit. While opening, you have to be extra focused. Being cautious has helped my batting. It’s not that when you bat in the middle order, there is no challenge or you have to be a little less cautious, but opening has helped get the best out of me.”Rohit’s primary focus at the moment is on recuperating. He had to miss the Champions League T20 and the ongoing West Indies ODIs, but is hopeful of playing the Tests and the one-day tri-series with England and Australia in Australia before the World Cup.”Finger is fine. I am feeling well. It’s almost 70-80% healed. It is in the last stage of healing. I am going to start gripping my bat from tomorrow (Friday).”

Few teams have been able to keep the legendary attacker quiet, but his next opponent has been one of the best at doing so

Throughout his career, few teams have been able to really stop Lionel Messi. It's one of the reasons he's in this famous GOAT conversation, after all. No matter the level, no matter the competition, Messi's record speaks for itself. With the World Cup now in his back pocket, there isn't much left to hold against him.

Messi's record, however, isn't spectacular against everyone. A very small number of sides have been able to stop him, and one of them just so happens to be his next opponent in CONMEBOL's biggest game.

Fresh off a disappointing loss to one up-and-comer, Uruguay, Messi will lead Argentina against Brazil on Tuesday in a clash of South America's titans. Historically, Argentina are one of the few teams that can even compete with the famous Selecao. Brazil have more World Cups, but Argentina have more senior titles. It's a rivalry that's so good mostly because it has been so even.

It hasn't been for Messi, though. Brazil have largely been able to put a muzzle on the diminutive Argentine and, as they head into the next chapter of their historic rivalry, it may take the Messi magic that has often been missing for the world champions to escape the Maracana with a positive result.

GettyA historic rivalry

Few countries can put their resumes on the table against Brazil and Argentina, two of the premier national teams in the game since these sorts of competitions began.

On one side, you have Brazil, winners of five World Cups. They also have four Confederations Cups, two Olympic medals and nine U-20/U-17 World Cups to their name, as well as nine Copa America titles.

The one team with more Copas America? Argentina, who claimed their 15th title in 2021 with a famous victory in Brazil. That was Messi's first senior international trophy, and it paved the way for the success in Qatar one year later.

In terms of head-to-head, the two sides are relatively even. Brazil have won 43 of the 109 meetings between the two, with Argentina claiming 40. Until the Copa America final in 2021, though, Brazil reigned supreme when it mattered, winning six consecutive knockout clashes between the two dating back to 1995.

Argentina's win in the Copa America has only levelled up the rivalry, although it's one that has never really seen the best of Messi.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMessi's record vs Brazil

It doesn't need to be explained how good Messi's international record is, but we'll do it anyway: 106 goals in 125 caps, a World Cup, a Copa America, an Olympic Gold Medal, a World Youth Championship title. Messi's now done just about everything there is to do.

One of the few places he's struggled, though, is Brazil. It's not that his record is bad, because, realistically, it isn't. But, by his standards, Messi has struggled a bit when staring down the famous yellow shirts.

In 13 career games against Brazil, Messi has just five goals. An okay haul, sure, but not quite up to his usual standards. Argentina are just 6-6-1 in matches vs Brazil with Messi in the XI.

However, a look at those five goals offers a better glimpse into the real situation. Three of his five goals came in the same friendly: a June 2012 win in the U.S. Another came in a 2010 friendly in Qatar, an interesting preview of what was to come over a decade later. The last came in the 2019 Superclasico de los Americas, which was held in Saudi Arabia.

Messi has never scored against Brazil, either home or away, in South America. He's also never scored against Brazil in World Cup qualifying, and the Selecao is the only opponent he has not defeated in a World Cup qualifier.

Getty ImagesWhy Messi has struggled

There's a pretty easy answer to this question. It doesn't take much thought to figure out why Messi's goalscoring record isn't particularly great against Brazil, and that's because the Selecao are, in fact, very, very good.

There's never any sort of dropoff from Brazil, who have no rebuilding eras or generational shifts. It's a constant pipeline of talent flowing through the national team that keeps them permanently fixed to the top of the international game.

Defenders like Thiago Silva and Marquinhos would never have been too starstruck seeing Messi on the other side, nor is relative newcomer Eder Militao, a Real Madrid star. Legendary fullbacks like Dani Alves and Marcelo frequently made Argentina uncomfortable. A midfield shield like Casemiro, who has been at the top of that position for so long, is not one to be intimidated, either.

That's the easy answer: quality. From top to bottom, Brazil are always one of the most talented teams in the world. It hasn't been without controversy, though, with Messi once saying he believed there was something more foul going on.

After being eliminated at the hands of Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semifinals, Messi accused CONMBEOL of corruption in favor of Brazil. His accusation came after he was controversially sent off in Argentina's 2-1 win over Chile in the third place match, with Messi refusing to take part in the festivities after.

“We don’t have to be part of this corruption,” Messi said at the time. “They have showed us a lack of respect throughout this tournament. Sadly, the corruption, the referees, they don’t allow people to enjoy football, they ruined it a bit. I think the cup is fixed for Brazil. I hope that the VAR and the referees have nothing to do in this final and that Peru can compete because they have the team to do so although I think it’s difficult.”

Then-Brazil boss Tite hit back after Brazil's triumph.

"You have to have a little more respect and be careful," Tite said. "We played clean against Argentina. Messi was unfairly sent off against Chile. It was a yellow card. But be careful."

It only added a bit more spice to the rivalry, which remains as hot as any in South America due to the level on the field.

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GettyA mixed history at the Maracana

Prior to the World Cup in Qatar, the Maracana was the site of Messi's greatest international triumph. It was also the site of his greatest career disappointment.

The famous venue was the host of the 2014 World Cup final, Messi's first crack at winning that golden trophy. We all know how it went: Messi and Argentina had their hearts broken at the death, with Mario Gotze etching his name in history as Germany lifted the trophy.

Seven years later, it was Messi's turn, as an Angel Di Maria goal led Argentina to a stunning win over Copa America hosts Brazil. The sight of Argentina lifting Messi into the air was a defining moment of his career, even if it was soon usurped by the images of him in Qatar.

That fact wasn't lost on Messi, who believed it was divine intervention that put Argentina in the Maracana that night.

"Coincidences don't exist," he said in his prematch speech ahead of the 2021 Copa America final. "This tournament had to be played in Argentina and do you know why? Because God brought it here so we win here in the Maracana for all of us. So let's go out there with confidence, with cool heads, and let's win this trophy. Come on boys!”

The stadium remains the site of one of Messi's greatest moments and the worst of his career as he prepares for what may just be his last ever match at the Maracana.

In the wake of India’s 2-0 series defeat in Australia and their slide to No. 7 in the Test rankings, Rahul Dravid has urged a long-term approach to improving their overseas performances

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-20155:50

‘Four difficult years for Indian Test cricket’

In the wake of India’s 2-0 series defeat in Australia and their slide to No. 7 in the Test rankings, Rahul Dravid has urged a long-term approach to improving their overseas performances.”I’m not a big one for rankings,” Dravid told ESPNcricinfo. “Whether we’re seventh or fifth, for me that doesn’t really make a huge difference. We are not going to be playing overseas for a long time, so our rankings will definitely improve.”We will perform well in India. We’ve got the batting line-up now, we’ve got some very good spinners who can bowl well in these conditions, so if we were having this conversation in 24 months and we haven’t played a lot overseas, then I might be talking about ‘oh, great, we’re up there in numbers one and two’.”So that’s not the point. The point for me is, how well we do when we go overseas from now, and what are the steps that we’re taking to address some of the issues that have become pretty evident over the last 12-14 months.”India, Dravid said, were close to building a batting line-up that would be competitive in all conditions, but they would need a big improvement in the bowling to be able to win abroad consistently.”The bowling has been a big let-down, and I think if you are not consistently bowling well, if you don’t have world-class bowlers in both pace and spin, then you’re going to slide down the rankings because you’re not going to produce results.”The current crop of bowlers have failed on several overseas tours, but Dravid hinted that they may still be the best options India have at the moment, with no standout performers in domestic cricket.”It’s a tough one. I follow Ranji Trophy cricket and cricket in India, and there’s not a lot of talent. The cupboard, unfortunately in the bowling department, is not as well stocked as we would like it to be.”Hopefully it can change and things like this can change in six months, eight months, sometimes you can find a young, exciting fast bowler somewhere or a super spinner somewhere, that happens. But the reality is that we were all excited, before the Australia tour. We had got 2-3 guys, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, all bowling 140-plus; there’s always Ishant Sharma; Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] has come along a long way.”So I’m not saying that these guys are finished. There are clearly lessons that they need to learn, areas that they need to work on. You could have the same set of bowlers, but if they improve and get better, I think that’s the ideal situation, because when I look around the place, I don’t necessarily see many bowlers shouting out or banging the door open at the moment to say, look, pick me, I will do the job for you in Test cricket.”Virat Kohli, Dravid said, was the ideal captain for India to plan their Test future around.”I think it’s early days for Virat. But he’s shown that he can lead. One of the biggest pluses for me was his own performance in this series. The worst thing would have been, for someone like Virat, who was the obvious successor to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to have not performed and not been sure of his own place, which was one of the concerns after the tour of England.”But that’s not the case, now we know that Virat’s a shoo-in candidate for the captaincy, he’s someone whom Indian cricket can plan long-term with, and that’s what they should do. Results will take care of themselves, with the right plans you’re making, right noises you’re making to go out and find bowlers and plan long-term, and sit down and think about how are we playing these tours, are we preparing well enough, are we going there well in advance, playing the practice games, what are the kind of skills required.”These are the kind of things that need to be done behind the scenes. If Virat can do that process, he’ll find that the results will follow, because in a country like India, with the number of people playing, talent’s got to be there. It’s just a question of finding it.”

Namibia will be led by Gerhard Erasmus in the Under-19 World Cup, which kicks off in the UAE in February

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2014Namibia U-19s squad for the World Cup

Gerhard Erasmus (capt), JJ Smit (vice-capt), Cobus Brand, MP Delport, Michiel du Preez, Zane Green, Joshuan Julius, JP Kotze, Malan Kruger, Jano Coetzee, Xander Pitchers, Wayne Raw, Ricardo Strauss, Bredell Wessels, Tiaan Snyman

Namibia will be led by Gerhard Erasmus in the Under-19 World Cup, which kicks off in the UAE in February. Their 15-player squad includes several players who turn out for the senior national team – and are currently playing in the World Cup 2015 Qualifier in New Zealand – like Erasmus, JJ Smit, Xander Pitchers and JP Kotze.”Our batting is a good mix of left- and right-handers, explosive stroke-makers along with players that can build partnerships and have the ability to make big scores and take us to competitive totals, such as Gerhard Erasmus, Alexander Pitchers and Malan Kruger,” Namibia’s high performance coach Rangarirai Manyande said.Namibia is slotted into Group B, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Australia. They will go into the World Cup following extensive preparation, having played in various competitions in South Africa.

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has Heung-Min Son to thank for his side’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. The South Korean forward struck in the 83rd minute to finally break the deadlock, after Spurs dominated much of the game up to that point without being able to produce any end product.

However, it was the introduction of Fernando Llorente, who assisted Son’s winning goal, that truly changed the course of the match.

On the chalkboard

Pochettino’s side were on top throughout the first half. They persistently played crosses into the box from dangerous areas, but the Magpies’ were consistently able to deal with them. This is because Spurs lacked a physical presence.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

With in his introduction on the hour mark, Llorente finally gave the home team a focal point. The 33-year-old Spaniard took up a target man role and was able to use his 6’4” frame to good effect. For Son’s goal, he was able to hold off a Newcastle defender and chest the ball into Son’s path.

Late luck for Pochettino

Llorente was the perfect man to lead Spurs’ attack against Newcastle, who pulled no surprises with their game plan of sitting deep and soaking up pressure, which begs the question as to why Pochettino didn’t include the striker in his starting XI.

Ultimately, the fact that Spurs took all three points is all that matters, but had Llorente been on the pitch in the first half, he could have had an earlier impact and perhaps Spurs would then have enjoyed a more comfortable victory.

By not starting the veteran striker, Pochettino almost cost his side the win, and was fortunate that Llorente was able to make the difference in the final ten minutes. 

David Warner has admitted he needed the “kick up the bum” of being suspended and ultimately dropped from Australia’s Test side after his punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham pub

Brydon Coverdale in Hove25-Jul-2013David Warner has admitted he needed the “kick up the bum” of being suspended and ultimately dropped from Australia’s Test side after his punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham pub. Warner’s ban over the incident cost him his place in the first two Investec Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord’s but he is firmly back in contention for a recall in the third Test at Old Trafford after his 193 during the ongoing match against South Africa A in Pretoria.Warner was sent on the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa after being left out of the Trent Bridge Test as the Australian camp sought a way to get him some game time following his suspension. His punch at Root on a night out during the Champions Trophy ultimately led to the sacking of coach Mickey Arthur, but for Warner personally, losing his place in the national side after playing 19 consecutive Tests was a wake-up call.”Sitting on the sidelines and copping that punishment and not being selected it was a thing that I needed,” Warner said from South Africa. “I definitely needed a kick up the bum. It was my own fault the incident that happened. My job was then to support our players, support the rest of the group and do everything I could to help them prepare for the games. I did that and I know the other guys on the tour did the same thing. We’ve all been working very hard.”Warner’s partnership with Ed Cowan at the top of Australia’s Test order appears to have been permanently split, with Cowan having been dropped after the loss in Nottingham. If Warner returns at Old Trafford it will likely be at No.6, although his heavy scoring against South Africa A – 193 from 226 deliveries – came at No.4.Although his scoring rate was typically quick, Warner impressed by surviving for more than five hours at the crease in Pretoria, against a South Africa A attack boasting the extremely promising pace pairing of Kyle Abbott and Marchant de Lange. His 193 was not his highest first-class score but it was his longest stay at the crease in quite some time, after a lean few months in all formats.”I set myself a goal of wanting to bat three hours out there,” Warner said. “I batted an hour in Zimbabwe and I decided here I’d just come in and be positive from the start and when the ball was there to hit, I hit it. That’s how I played and it came off.”I hadn’t really played for about 40 days so with no cricket under my belt I was fortunate enough to be sent here and get some game time in. I know I would have had to wait until after the first two Tests to get any game time over there otherwise.”Had he stayed in England, Warner’s first opportunity for some time in the middle would have come in the tour match against Sussex, which begins in Hove on Friday. Warner’s innings means that Phillip Hughes and Steven Smith especially will be under pressure to post decent scores against Sussex in the lead-up to the Manchester Test.One man who won’t be scoring any runs in Sussex is Shane Watson, who has stayed in London along with some other members of the squad to train ahead of the third Test. Watson was the subject of a Twitter rant from David Warner’s brother Steve during the Lord’s Test, but Warner said he had nothing but support for Watson.”A hundred percent. I get along with Shane very well,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoy batting with Shane, I know what he does for the team and I know what a team player he is, not just on the field but in and around the group how he supports the guys. He’s fantastic.”

Sri Lanka sealed the two-match Twenty20 series 2-0 after beating Bangladesh by three wickets in Chittagong

The Report by Mohammad Isam14-Feb-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSachithra Senanayake and Thisara Perera kept their cool to steer Sri Lanka to victory•AFPMashrafe Mortaza’s first tilt at captaincy started and finished by falling at the crease in 2009 and 2010. Now, as a stopgap captain in place of Mushfiqur Rahim, he has made the most imaginative attempt by a Bangladeshi captain. With only 120 runs to defend, Mashrafe rotated his bowlers wisely, but in the end, Bangladesh went down on the final ball.With two needed off the last delivery, Sachithra Senanayake smacked a short delivery from Farhad Reza for four. It was perhaps a cruel end for the bowler, as Reza had bowled five good deliveries before that when he started off with nine required off the final over. It was a lucky break for Sri Lanka, who have now won the series 2-0, and head to Dhaka for the ODI leg of the tour full of confidence.In the tense finish, Senanayake and Thisara Perera, surprised with their lack of boundaries – the final six overs had only three fours – but they scampered the ones and twos, winning the game with a 27-run stand from 3.2 overs.Bangladesh were tremendous in the field, particularly Mashrafe who didn’t let the Sri Lankan top-order settle as he kept using bowlers for just one over each from the start.Arafat Sunny gave just eight runs from his two overs and even picked up a wicket, as did Rubel Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah. Mashrafe himself snared two scalps.Kusal Perera and Dinesh Chandimal fell by missing reverse-sweeps while Tillakaratne Dilshan was bowled when looking to cut. Mashrafe’s two-wicket over, the tenth of the innings, turned the game towards Bangladesh. He removed Angelo Perera with a fast off-cutter, and then took out Angelo Mathews with one that went out, inducing an edge.Nuwan Kulasekara was run-out after he was turned back by the non-striker, but Kumar Sangakkara kept the runs flowing and eventually ended as the team’s highest run-getter with 37. However, in the 17th over in which he had taken 11 runs, Sangakkara found short third-man where Tamim Iqbal took a smart catch.When Bangladesh decided to bat, Kulasekara’s two wickets went by unnoticed. Tamim Iqbal and Farhad Reza went after him, faltered and gave catches. But the catches Kulasekara took, dispirited Bangladesh’s aggression. Lasith Malinga took three wickets, while Senanayake finished with 2 for 11.Sri Lanka had started the innings with a dropped catch. Malinga could only touch the ball over his head at short fine-leg, off the third delivery of the opening over. But just like Shamsur Rahman had done the last time when a spinner opened the bowling in a T20 against Bangladesh, he dinked Dilshan’s poor fifth delivery to midwicket, getting easily caught.Tamim Iqbal followed suit in the next over, holing out to third man, with his running flash outside off-stump making for poor shot selection. Sometimes, Tamim goes back to his early days in international cricket when he could charge any bowler. But with so much knowledge of his batting being ferried around, some of these shots have become too predictable.Anamul Haque kept the holiday crowd entertained when he slammed two fours and two sixes off Dilshan’s next over. Both sixes were through midwicket, as Anamul attacked confidently. Shakib was giving him good support at that stage, but the partnership was brought to an end by a stunning catch.Kulasekara ran hard from mid-on as Shakib skied towards long-on, the fielder continually running until he caught up with the dipping ball. The impact of his dive took him close to the boundary, but he held on and stayed within bounds. Kulasekara would also have a large say about the last Bangladesh wicket, when he dived in from deep cover to catch Sabbir Rahman’s slice.Exactly two overs later, Kusal Perera tried to better Kulasekara at deep midwicket, when he intercepted Anamul’s slog sweep with a tremendous effort at the boundary. He was mid-air when he dived to his right.Only a small section of the crowd, adorned in the deep blue of Sri Lanka, cheered heartily as the rest of the 15,000 remained largely silent. Nasir Hossain and Farhad Reza gave easy catches to cover, while Mahmudullah was a victim of poor calling from the debutant Sabbir Rahman, who was the team’s top-scorer with 26.Ultimately, the hosts were left ruing a second consecutive last-ball defeat in the space of three days.