Bangladesh begin Super 8s with Australia defeat
Bangladesh were left to rue their slow-paced batting in the middle overs as Australia defeated the Tigers by 28 runs (DLS method) in the teams' Super Eight fixture of the T20 World Cup in Antigua on Friday.
David Warner starred with an undefeated 53 off 35 balls, while Pat Cummins bagged a hattrick, as the former champions outclassed Bangladesh in all departments of the game.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Australia were cruising along in chase of 141, at 100 for two in 11.2 overs and 28 runs ahead of the DLS par score before bad weather intervened for the last time.
Earlier, asked to bat, Bangladesh could not capitalise on the cautious yet promising start, courtesy of Najmul Hossain Shanto (41 off 36) and Liton Das (16 off 25). From 58 for one in eight overs, their innings lost steam in the middle overs, which produced 45 runs in 45 balls before Shakib Al Hasan (eight) got out at the beginning of 17th over, with the score at 103 for five.
Towhid Hridoy quickfired a 28-ball 40 but his efforts were not enough as the Tigers posted a sub-par 140 for eight on a sporting surface at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
On the bowling front, Rishad Hossain was the only positive for Bangladesh as the tall leggie picked up two wickets against the run of play.
Up next, Bangladesh play India in a potential must-win game on Saturday, in order to keep their hopes alive for a maiden semifinals entry.
Rishad's twin blow gives Tigers sliver of hope, but Aussies unfazed
Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain struck twice in his first overs, removing Australia's Travis Head and skipper Mitchell Marsh, but the Tigers still have a long way to go in swinging the momentum of the Super Eight match of the ICC T20 World Cup in their favour.
Chasing 141 in Antigua, the Aussies are 100 for two in 11.2 overs, with Warner batting on 53 after completing his 28th fifty in the format, before bad weather intervened again. At this stage, Australia are way ahead in terms of par score, 72.
Desperate for a breakthrough after Head and Warner smacked Bangladesh bowlers all over the park, the rain interruption worked in the Tigers' favour and it was Rishad who came up with the goods.
Continuing impressive run of form, Rishad first deceived Head with a flighted ball which castled his stumps before trapping Marsh in front in the following over.
The Aussies, however, remained unfazed from the double setback as Warner and new batter Glen Maxwell operated in their characteristic fashion.
Headache for Tigers as Warner, Head taking game away
Bangladesh are getting increasingly desperate to get their first breakthrough as Australia openers, chasing 141, are busy bullying the Tigers in the teams' Super Eight fixture of the T20 World Cup in Antigua on Friday.
The 2021 champions are 64 for naught after 6.2 overs, with Head and Warner batting on 31 and 32, respectively, after rain halted proceedings.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto has opted to bowl off-spinner Mahedi Hasan from the onset, with fast bowlers Tanzim Sakib, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman all getting to roll their arms in the first six overs.
Shanto, Hridoy score bulk of runs as Tigers post 140; Cummins star with a hattrick
Riding on two good knocks from Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy, Bangladesh have totaled 140 for eight against Australia in the teams' Super Eight fixture of the T20 World Cup in Antigua on Friday.
Asked to bat, captain Shanto, coming in at number three following the first-over dismissal of Tanzid Tamim, hit six fours and a six to score the bulk of runs, 41 off 36 balls. His partnership with Liton Das for the second wicket yielded 58 runs -- Bangladesh's score after eight overs.
However, the Tigers struggled once Liton (16) departed in the ninth over, leading to the fall of promoted Rishad Hossain (two) in quick succession and Shanto in the next five overs, which saw only 26 runs.
Towhid Hridoy and Shakib Al Hasan then promised to get a partnership going, bringing up the total to three figures in 15.3 overs, but Shakib (eight) was undone by Stoinis' slower delivery, resulting in a caught-and-bowled dismissal.
Hridoy, however, began counter-attacking immediately, striking Stoinis for consecutive sixes, setting the tone for Bangladesh to tally 150-plus score on a seemingly good batting track at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
His partner, Mahmudullah Riyad (two), was the next to go as the veteran mistimed a pull shot off Pat Cummins to play the ball onto the stumps. Cummins bagged his second victim in the next ball, sending returnee Mahedi Hasan back in the dugout for a duck.
Cummins would go on to achieve a hattrick -- the seventh bowler to achieve the feat in the tournament's history -- as he returned in his next over, the innings' final, to remove Hridoy (40 off 28) who failed to scoop beyond the fielder at short fine-leg.
Australia will be happier of the two sides, given how the first eight overs panned out. Adam Zampa made the key breakthroughs, removing Liton and Shanto, while only Josh Hazlewood remained wicketless.
Bangladesh off to confident start despite early blow
Bangladesh batters Liton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto have well negotiated the Powerplay with cautious aggression after losing Tanzid Tamim in the first over against Australia in the teams' Super Eight fixture of the T20 World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.
The Tigers are 57 for one after eight overs, with Liton and Shanto batting on 16 and 31, respectively.
[Update: Liton fell in the first ball of the ninth over, bowled by leggie Adam Zampa in trying to execute a sweep shot, before pinch hitter Rishad Hossain, promoted up the order, fell prey to off-spinner Glen Maxwell. Bangladesh 67 for three after 10 overs.]
Bangladesh, sent in to bat, lost opener Tamim in the third ball as the left-hander, who got out against Nepal in the very first delivery, failed to connect a full-pitched delivery from Mitchell Starc in the first over, ending up getting castled. Starc bowled three overs on the trot in the six overs of Powerplay.
Despite the setback, captain Shanto eased the pressure with some well-timed strokes. Meanwhile, Liton Das, took ten deliveries to get off the mark, managed to middle a few to up the ante.
Mahedi in as Tigers asked to bat by Australia in Antigua
Bangladesh have been asked to bat by Australia in their first Super Eight fixture of the ongoing T20 World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.
The Tigers have made one change from their last match, bolstering the bowling, with spin-bowling all-rounder Mahedi Hasan replacing Jaker Ali Anik to make his first appearance in the ongoing tournament.
For Australia, pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins return to the side. Ashton Agar and Nathan Ellis make way for the two superstars.
Starting XI
Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Liton Das(w), Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman
Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh(c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Highlights
*Australia have six wins to their name against Bangladesh's four in 10 T20Is. All four of the Tigers' victories came in Mirpur.
*Bangladesh have never beaten Australia in the T20 World Cup, losing in five meetings.
*Average first innings total at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is 118. Pacers and spinners have had similar experiences at the venue as both have conceded runs at less than seven an over. In this T20 World Cup, however, spinners have conceded more, 8.45 runs an over, than pacers (7.74).
*Bangladesh pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib has taken seven wickets in the Powerplay, joint-most with Afghanistan Fazalhaq Farooqi for most scalps taken in the first six overs in the tournament. Meanwhile, Mustafizur Rahman's 67 dot balls is the joint-most in the group-stage of the tournament alongside New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson.
*At the batting front, Marcus Stoinis (10) and Travis Head (9) both are in the top five for most sixes hit in the edition so far. Towhid Hridoy is in the top 10 with six maximums.
*Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib, who will be on a hattrick whenever he comes to bowl against Australia, needs one wicket to become the first player to take 50 wickets in T20 World Cup history. He is also two wickets away from becoming only the second player after Tim Southee (164) to take 150 scalps in the format.
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