Tigers' World Cup campaign ends with another meek surrender

Mitchell Marsh pulled away a Taskin Ahmed short-length delivery over mid-wicket for six to finish proceedings in chase of Bangladesh's 73 and clinch an eight-wicket victory for Australia. The Aussies needed to finish the match in 8.1 overs but the game lasted just three deliveries into the seventh over as home-sick Tigers slumped to their fifth successive defeat in the Super 12 stage, unable to win a single match. Australia reached home with 82 deliveries to spare and that kicked their run-rate off to +1.031.

Bangladesh were poor from the beginning in a surface conducive to playing shots freely, In fact, Tigers' batting performance was at the other spectrum of playing without pressure and nothing to lose. Indications suggest that the overall ambition of the side had stooped to such low levels, that they even found an absolute belter of a batting track difficult. It culminated in Adam Zampa bagging a fifer. Australia were not subtle in their ambitions in chasing the total. David Warner and Aaron Finch launched a full-blown attack on the Bangladesh pacers, chiefly Mustafizur Rahman, who conceded 32 runs in just two overs. Taskin, despite conceding 36 runs in 3.2 overs was rewarded when he removed Finch for 40. Shoriful Islam removed Warner after the batter tried to whack one but only managed an inside-edge onto his stumps to depart for 14-ball 18. Bangladesh's sorrowful fielding was once again in view as Soumya Sarkar misjudged a catch at deep mid-wicket as Finch got away with a four. 

Mahmudullah said they never found the momentum to play a tournament of the stature of a World Cup. He still backed the idea of gaining confidence with the two series wins at home against Australia and New Zealand even as all signs suggest that was where there World Cup failings started.

"When you have these sort of performances, it is hard to say much. There are a lot of areas we have to look at, especially our batting. The wickets that we have played on have been among the best for batting. We have to figure out what went wrong when we go back to Bangladesh. T20 cricket you have to have a good powerplay, especially when we don't have so-called hard hitters. You need that momentum to carry forward, but we haven't done that at all. (On the preparation for this World Cup) The thing is before playing in the World Cup, we had to get some wins under our belt. As professional cricketers, you have to adapt to all conditions. But we have lacked awareness as a unit, and we have to pick up on that. If you see, in the Super 12s, we came close to closing two games against Sri Lanka and West Indies. Other than that, we have been outplayed by the opposition. I hope the supporters keep supporting us," Mahmudullah said at post-match ceremony.

Australia in a hurry in chase of Tigers' paltry total 

Australia piled on the misery for Bangladesh with the bat after bowling the Tigers out for just 73 runs, Aaron Finch and David Warner went aggressive early and their 50-run stand was completed in just 27 deliveries. Taskin had been bright at the start and his good work saw him bag the wicket of Finch, out bowled but not before he had punched in 40 runs off just 20 deliveries. Australia arte 58 for 1 in five overs. The Aussies need to finish in 8.1 overs to go past South Africa's run-rate but they are not waiting for bad deliveries here but trying to get the job done early.

Zampa bags fifer as Tigers bundled out for their second-lowest T20I total   

Bangladesh suffered a horrible batting collapse as the Tigers were bundled out for their second-lowest T20I total against Australia in their final Super 12 stage encounter of the T20 World Cup in Dubai today. 

Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa bagged a fifer. He scalped five for 19 in four overs, his career-best T20I figures, to bundle out Tigers for a meagre 73 in 15 overs. Bangladesh's lowest T20I total was also recorded in another T20 World Cup encounter against New Zealand in Kolkata back in 2016 when they were bundled out for just 70.  

After being sent in to bat, Bangladesh started off abysmally, losing five of their top-order batters in 6.1 overs while only putting 33 on the board. In fact, Bangladesh lost three wickets -- those of Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim -- in the first three overs of the game. 

While Liton and Soumya were undone by the pace of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood as both saw their stumps dismantled, Mushfiqur was trapped in front by Glenn Maxwell. 

Bangladesh never recovered from the early slump. Mohammad Naim, who had struck a few boundaries and got a decent start, failed to capitalise and was caught at square leg off the bowling of Hazlewood in the sixth over. 

Afif then followed suit in the very next over as he gave an easy catch to Australia skipper Aaron Finch after misreading a googly from leggie Adam Zampa.

Shamim Hossain, top scorer with 19 off 18 deliveries, was the only one who looked a bit positive during his shot making. He had struck Starc over mid-on for a well-timed boundary and also smashed Zampa for a huge six over deep square leg. 

However, it was Zampa who picked up the wicket of Shamim, having him caught behind in the 11th over. Zampa was even on a hat-trick when he had Mahedi Hasan trapped in front in the very next delivery. 

Zampa later picked up the wickets of Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam in the 15th over to hand Bangladesh another humiliation in this edition of the World Cup after their 84 all out in their previous encounter against South Africa.  
 

Five down Tigers on brink of humiliation

Bangladesh got off to an abysmal start as the Tigers lost five inside 6.1 overs and now stare at the humiliation of getting bundled out for a low score against Australia in their last Super 12 stage game of the T20 World Cup in Dubai today. 

Afif Hossain was the latest to depart as he gave an easy catch to Australia skipper Aaron Finch after misreading a googly from leggie Adam Zampa.

Mohammad Naim fell in the final over of the Powerplay. After hitting Josh Hazlewood a beautiful straight drive for a four down the ground, the left-hander tried to force a shot over square leg and only gave an easy catch to the fielder there.

Naim had also struck Pat Cummins for two boundaries in the fourth over and was looking to consolidate with skipper Mahmudullah Riyad after Tigers suffered a slump. But his knock came to an end after a 16-ball 17. 
   
Before that, Bangladesh had lost three of their top order batters -- opener Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim -- in the first three overs of the game respectiveley.

Bangladesh had lost Liton and Soumya in the first two overs respectively. While Liton had no answer to Mitchell Starc's 140-plus delivery that found the gap between his bat and pad to get an inside edge and shatter his stumps, Soumya had dragged one on to his stumps off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood.  

After that, Mushfiqur Rahim was the one to fall in the third over when he was trapped in front by off-spinner Glenn Maxwell. He walked off after scoring just a solitary run.
 

Liton, Soumya depart early

Bangladesh got off to an alarming start as the Tigers lost opener Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar in the first two overs against Australia in their last Super 12 stage game of the T20 World Cup in Dubai today. 

Liton, facing his first ball, was tested by a 144kmph delivery from left-arm quick Mitchell Starc in the very first over of the innings. The right-hander was late to react and left a gap between bat and pad as the fuller length delivery got an inside edge and went on to dismantle his stumps. 

The very next over, Soumya Sarkar followed suit as he dragged a Josh Hazlewood delivery onto his stumps.

Liton walked off for a first-ball naught while Soumya departed following an eight-ball five as Bangladesh, who are hoping to salvage at least one win the main round of the marquee event, now have to recover from a slump.