Sports Desk:

The mood outside the dressing rooms at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening told two very different stories. Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga emerged from the cramped elevator juggling their kit coffins, yet still found time for jokes and laughter. Moments later, Taskin Ahmed and Shamim Hossain followed, their faces drawn and smiles faint — a reflection of Bangladesh’s bruising six-wicket defeat to the Lankans in their Asia Cup Group B encounter.

The absence of Taskin from the playing XI was one of the first questions raised. Speculation swirled about injury, but the pacer quickly dismissed it. “No brother, no injury. I’m fine,” he said, confirming his fitness.

Instead, the decision was down to strategy. Taskin, despite claiming two wickets against Hong Kong in the opener, conceded 38 runs and looked unsettled against the swirling breeze in Abu Dhabi. His numbers against Sri Lanka also weighed against him: 10 wickets in nine T20Is, but at an economy rate above nine.

In his absence, the Bangladesh attack lacked penetration. Shoriful Islam, who had shone in Sri Lanka earlier this year, went for 26 in three overs. Mustafizur Rahman picked up one wicket but leaked 35 runs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib bowled a solitary over up front, before returning late for two more when the contest was already beyond reach. Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain’s single over cost 18 runs, after which captain Litton Das didn’t risk bringing him back.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, looked assured and composed. Their bowlers kept Bangladesh to 139, striking early as the Tigers slipped to 53 for 5. With the bat, they chased the target with ease, crossing the line with 32 balls to spare — Chameera and Hasaranga leaving the ground later with smiles that underlined the gulf between the sides.

For Bangladesh, the real problem was again with the bat. On a surface offering little for bowlers, 139 was never going to be enough against a full-strength Sri Lanka. As Taskin sat out, questions over selection only added to the frustration of a heavy defeat.