Bangladesh dismiss Australia for their lowest T20I total of 62 runs, seal series by 4-1
BAN beat AUS – Australia thrashed 4-1: Earlier in the day, Bangladesh put on a fighting 122 on the board, as they handled the visiting spin troika of Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson. Mohammad Naim top-scored with a run-a-ball 23, while Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar stuck in to take Bangladesh to a decent total. Nathan Ellis, who picked up a hat-trick in the 3rd T20I, was the pick of the bowlers, ending his spell with 2/16, while Christian also boasted of similar numbers, ending his quota of four overs conceding 17 runs and picking up 2 wickets.
The 62-all out score meant that it was Australia’s lowest ever score in T20I cricket. Their 13.4 overs stay at the crease was also their shortest completed innings across all formats of the game as they had a day to forget. Only thrice have Australia suffered bigger defeats than their 60-run loss on Monday. Their biggest defeat remains their 74-run loss to West Indies in 2012, followed by 73-run loss to India in 2014 and a 66-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan in 2018.
It was a night Australia would prefer to forget, falling for their lowest-ever T20I score in the fifth match against Bangladesh.@LouisDBCameron | #BANvAUS https://t.co/EZsmAuyMaj
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 9, 2021
The 4-1 series loss makes it back to back tour losses for Australia after they suffered defeat by the same scoreline against the West Indies. While Matthew Wade’s side has several first-teamers missing, the losses serve as a wake-up call to Australia’s lack of depth and options when it comes to the shortest format of the game ahead of the T20 World Cup. The manner of collapses witness during the Bangladesh tour will certainly hurt their pride. Australia haven’t won the T20 World Cup in the tournament’s history and will have to do a lot better than what they have in the tours of West Indies and Bangladesh if they aim of ending their drought.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh will go into the T20 World Cup qualifiers with their heads held high, after comprehensive wins over Zimbabwe and Australia. The fact the latter came despite the absences of Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim will please the team management and the fans as they hope for a spirited performance at the mega event.