Australia clinched a comfortable 28-run victory over Bangladesh via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in their T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight clash at North Sound, Antigua. Despite some promising spells by Bangladesh’s spinners, Australia’s dominance with the bat and clinical bowling sealed the win.

Australia Win the Toss and Opt to Bowl

Skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss for Australia and chose to bowl first on a rain-interrupted evening. The decision quickly paid dividends as the pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood put Bangladesh on the back foot with early discipline and movement.

Tanzid Hasan was the first to fall, bowled by Starc. Bangladesh struggled to gain momentum and finished the powerplay with a modest total.

Bangladesh’s Batting Falters Under Pressure

Despite a solid 58-run stand between Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals. Shanto played a composed innings, but Adam Zampa’s leg-spin stifled the middle overs. His figures of 2 for 24 were pivotal in slowing down Bangladesh’s scoring rate.

Pat Cummins added the icing on the cake with a sensational hat-trick—only the second by an Australian in T20 internationals—dismissing Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, and Towhid Hridoy in rapid succession. Bangladesh limped to 140 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs.

Explosive Start by Warner and Head

Australia’s chase began with fireworks. Openers David Warner and Travis Head took the attack to Bangladesh’s seamers, racing to 65 inside the first 7 overs. Warner brought up his half-century just before another shower halted play.

Though Bangladesh’s spin duo—Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain—briefly slowed down the scoring, the Australian openers had already done enough. Warner’s fifty came in what is expected to be his last T20 World Cup, making it even more memorable.

Rain Brings Early End, Australia Ahead on DLS

As rain clouds loomed and eventually brought the game to a halt, Australia were well ahead of the DLS par score. With 100 runs already on the board for just one wicket, there was little doubt about the outcome.

Bangladesh had hoped the slowing pitch and their spinners might make a game of it, but Australia’s early onslaught put the result beyond reach. The match was officially called off with Australia declared winners by 28 runs.

Key Takeaways and Player Highlights

• Adam Zampa: Controlled the middle overs brilliantly with 2 for 24.
• Pat Cummins: Claimed a rare T20I hat-trick to dismantle Bangladesh at the death.
• David Warner: Scored a fluent fifty, continuing his fine form in his T20 World Cup swansong.
• Rishad Hossain: Continued to impress for Bangladesh, dismissing key players despite the loss.

This win further solidifies Australia’s status as one of the frontrunners in the tournament, while Bangladesh will need to regroup quickly if they are to bounce back in their next Super Eight fixture.

Category: T20 World Cup 2024, Cricket News, Australia Cricket, Bangladesh Cricket
Tags: Australia vs Bangladesh, T20 World Cup 2024, Adam Zampa, Pat Cummins, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Rishad Hossain, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, DLS Method