Fast bowler
Pat Cummins
led the bowling unit with a hat-trick and
David Warner
's unbeaten half-century ensured no hiccups with the bat as
Australia
cruised to a win over Bangladesh in their 'Super 8s' match in Group 1 of the
T20 World Cup
, even as rain threatened to play spoilsport in
Antigua
on Friday (IST).
Australia secured a 28-run victory over Bangladesh via the DLS method, thanks to the exceptional performances of Cummins and leg-spinner Adam Zampa before Warner & Co took charge of the run-chase.
T20 WORLD CUP: Schedule | Points Table
Cummins claimed the tournament's first hat-trick in the final overs, while Zampa showcased his precision in the middle overs, as Bangladesh were restricted to 140 for 8 after being asked to bat first by Mitchell Marsh.
Australia's chase was led by the experienced Warner, who smashed an unbeaten 53 off just 35 balls, including five fours and three sixes. Along with Travis Head (31), Warner got the Aussies off to a flying start, racing to 60/0 before rain interrupted play.
Despite losing some momentum after the break, with young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain (2/23 in 3 overs) dismissing Head and Mitchell Marsh (1) in quick succession, Australia remained in control. Warner, playing in his last T20 World Cup, brought up his half-century with a majestic six, showcasing his dominance.
When rain stopped play for the second time, Australia were comfortably ahead of the DLS par score, with 100 for 2 in 11.2 overs, 28 runs ahead of the required target of 72. The victory showcased the depth and quality of the Australian team, as they continue their march ahead in the tournament strongly.
In the opening over of the match, Mitchell Starc, the left-arm pacer, provided Australia with the anticipated early breakthrough by dismissing Tanzid Hasan. With this wicket, Starc surpassed Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga to become the leading wicket-taker in World Cups with 95 scalps.
The innings was stabilized by Litton Das (16) and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (41), who put together a 58-run partnership. In the fourth over, Shanto hit a six off Josh Hazlewood over long-on. He then targeted Starc, hitting a couple of fours in the fifth over.
However, Zampa immediately ended the partnership, trapping Das leg before wicket in the ninth over. Australian spinners Zampa and Glenn Maxwell applied pressure on Bangladesh, restricting them to only 26 runs from the ninth to the 13th over while also dismissing Rishad Hossain (2) besides taking the crucial wicket of Shanto, who fell to Zampa.
Hridoy (40 off 28) helped Bangladesh surpass the 100-run mark and attempted to boost his team's total. He hit consecutive sixes off Marcus Stoinis. However, Cummins made a significant impact in the latter stages of the innings, dashing any hopes of a strong finish by Bangladesh.
At the end of the 18th over, Cummins took wickets off successive deliveries. Mahmudullah tried to play a pull shot but ended up playing the ball back onto his stumps. Cummins then had Mahedi Hasan caught by Zampa. He returned to bowl the final over and dismissed Hridoy with his first ball, completing the hat-trick -- the first of this T20 World Cup.
English (US) ·