A hat-trick, a blistering half-century, and the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method defined Australia’s thrilling victory over Bangladesh in an action-packed Super Eight match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Antigua.
Australia secured a vital win in the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, edging closer to the knockout rounds. The match against Bangladesh in Antigua was marked by significant rain interruptions, but Australia managed to shine through the disruptions.
Mitchell Starc opened the bowling for Australia, delivering a crucial early blow by dismissing Tanzid Hasan with his third delivery, surpassing Lasith Malinga’s record for the most wickets in Men’s World Cups. Despite this setback, Bangladesh recovered well, with Liton Das and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto stabilizing the innings.
Shanto aggressively targeted Josh Hazlewood, hitting a huge six in the fourth over and adding two more boundaries in the next. Bangladesh ended the Powerplay at 39/1, with Shanto leading the charge. However, Adam Zampa broke the partnership in the ninth over by bowling Das, leaving Bangladesh at 67/3 by the halfway point.
Zampa struck again, dismissing Shanto for 41 off 36 balls in the 13th over, applying pressure on Bangladesh’s middle order. Towhid Hridoy’s 40 off 28 balls helped push Bangladesh past 100, but Pat Cummins’ hat-trick in the final over stifled their momentum, limiting them to 140/8. Cummins’ hat-trick made him the second Australian to achieve this feat in a T20 World Cup, following Brett Lee’s 2007 accomplishment against Bangladesh.
In response, Australian openers David Warner and Travis Head started aggressively, quickly reaching 50 runs by the sixth over. Warner’s six ended the Powerplay with Australia at 60/0. Rain halted play briefly, but Bangladesh managed to dismiss Head (31 off 21) and Marsh, gaining some momentum.
Glenn Maxwell’s arrival turned the tide back in Australia’s favor, partnering with Warner to push the score past 100 just as another rain shower hit. This interruption proved decisive, and the match was abandoned with Australia 28 runs ahead according to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Australia’s dominant performance places them and India in prime positions for the knockout stage, while Bangladesh must now win against both India and Afghanistan to keep their hopes alive.
Players in the team:
Australia XI: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (Captain), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (Wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Bangladesh XI: Tanzid Hasan, Liton Das (Wicketkeeper), Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
Australia’s victory in this rain-affected match showcases their strength as they advance to the knockout stages. Stay updated with all the latest T20 World Cup action and support your favorite team by following live scores, highlights, and expert analysis on the ICC website.
Reference- https://www.icc-cricket.com/
