Tigers bundle out Aussies for lowest-ever T20I total to take series 4-1

Shakib Al Hasan picked up four wickets and also reached a unique milestone as Bangladesh bundled out Australia for their lowest total ever in T20Is to win the fifth and final T20I by 60 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

The win also meant the Tigers, who had already clinched the series, take the five-match series 4-1.  

After posting a modest total of 122 for eight, Bangladesh bowlers, led by Shakib, bundled out Australia for a meagre 62 in 13.4 overs. 

Shakib, who was struck for five sixes by Dan Christian in one over and ended up conceding 50 for no wickets -- his worst figures in T20Is -- in the previous game, redeemed himself with a magnificent bowling display in today's game. The champion all-rounder finished with splendid figures of four for nine in 3.4 overs that included a wicket-maiden. 

The 34-year-old all-rounder, who has already scored 1718 runs in the 84 T20Is played, also became the only player to have scalped 100 wickets and score more than 1000 runs in the shortest format of the game when he picked up the wicket of Ashton Turner in the 12th over. He also became only the second player and first Bangladeshi to scalp 100 wickets in T20Is. 

The only player to have reached the 100-wicket milestone in T20Is is Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga, who took 107 wickets in 84 matches.

After Shakib was introduced in the seventh over, the Australians lost wickets thick and fast with Shakib picking up Australia skipper Matthew Wade after a team-high of run-a-ball 22 in the second ball of his first over.

Mohammad Saifuddin dented the Aussies' hopes of any kind of revival when he removed Alex Carey and Moises Henriques in the 11th over. 

Saifuddin castled Ashton Agar in the 13th over before Shakib wrapped it up quickly with wickets of Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa in the 14th over. 

Earlier, Bangladesh got off to their brightest start with the bat as the new opening pair of Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Naim stitched together a 42-run opening stand.

The Tigers, however, lost momentum at the death as they failed to accelerate and only ended up with a modest total on a slow and gripping Mirpur pitch. 

Shakib gets his 100th T20I wicket

[Wicket] Overs 11.2; Aus 54/7: Shakib Al Hasan gets the wicket of Ashton Turner, who cuts a turning away delivery straight to the fielder at cover. Shakib becomes only the second player to have scalped 100 T20I wickets. He is also the only player in the club of 100 wickets and 1000 runs in T20Is.

Saifuddin strikes twice in one over to leave Aussies reeling

[Wicket] Overs 10.5; Aus 54/6: Saifuddin gets another one in the same over. This time its Moises Henriques, who tries to glide one past the wicketkeeper but instead ends up edging it back for a simple catch to the keeper. Australia in deep trouble. 

[Wicket] Overs 10.3; Aus 53/5: An off-cutter from Mohammad Saifuddin and Alex Carey loses his stumps trying to go on his backfoot and cut it. 

Mahmudullah removes McDermott

[Wicket] Overs 8.5; Aus 48/4: A slower delivery from Mahmudullah Riyad and Ben McDermott chips it right to the hands of the bowler. A very soft dismissal. 

Shakib just one wicket away from 100 scalps in T20Is

[Wicket] Overs 7.2; Aus 38/3: A quicker delivery from Shakib Al Hasan gets the better of Australia skipper Matthew Wade. Wade, trying to pull, fails to connect and the ball goes on to clip the off stump. That's Shakib's 99th T20I wicket and the champion all-rounder is now just a wicket away from being the only player in the club of 100 wickets and 1000 runs in T20Is. 

Nasum removes Christian and Marsh in quick succession

[Wicket] Overs 3.5; Aus 17/2: Nasum Ahmed strikes once again and gets another big wicket -- that of in-form Mitchell Marsh. Marsh, down on one knee, goes for a slog sweep but the ball that pitched on middle stump went through quickly and struck the right-hander on his front pad. Umpire obliges to a loud appeal from Bangladesh but Australia opt for a review. However, the decision stays as the ball would go on to hit middle stump. Big blow for the Aussies. 

Nasum gives Tigers early breakthrough

[Wicket] Overs 1.1; Aus 3/1: Nasum Ahmed strikes with his very first ball. Dan Christian tries to pull a short of a length delivery but fails to connect as the ball goes on to rattle his stumps. Australia had also made a change to their opening pair, sending Dan Christian, who had struck Shakib Al Hasan for five sixes in one over in the previous game, to open with Matthew Wade. The strategy perhaps was that Christian would repeat his blitz in this game as well. However, that did not happen as Bangladesh strike early. 

Tigers post modest 122 for eight as they fail to accelerate at the death

After a flying start with the bat, Bangladesh failed to accelerate at the death as they ended up with a modest total of 122 for eight against Australia in the fifth and final T20I at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

Bangladesh only managed to score only 20 runs in the last five overs, losing three wickets during the crucial period. 

Electing to bat, Bangladesh got their brightest start with the bat as the new opening pair of Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Naim stitched together a 42-run opening stand. 

Mahedi fell to Ashton Turner after a 13-ball 12 in the fifth over and since then the Tigers struggled to get good partnerships in the middle. Naim yet again disappointed as he failed to capitalise on his decent start. His run-a-ball 23, laced with a four and a six, came to an end in the ninth over. 

Skipper Mahmudullah Riyad added 19 while Soumya Sarkar, who looked nervy in the beginning, managed 16 off 18. In-form Afif Hossain opened his account with a magnificent Dan Christian but he too could not score big, falling after a 11-ball 10.   

For Australia, pacers Nathan Ellis and Christian scalped two wickets each giving away runs at miserly economy rates of 4 and 4.25 respectively. 

Nurul departs; Tigers six down

[Wicket] Overs 17.4; Ban 110/6: A length delivery outside off from Nathan Ellis and Nurul Hasan, trying to play across the line, ends up dragging it onto his stumps. Bangladesh losing too many wickets at the death.

Soumya departs trying to accelerate

[Wicket] Overs 14.5; Ban 96/5: Soumya Sarkar, who was demoted down the batting order following a string of poor performances in the opening slot, fell to a Dan Christian delivery trying to accelerate. A well-connected lofted drive on the off-side that looked to be going the distance ended up straight in the hands of the fielder at long-off. Soumya, who was struggling to score runs even in this game for a while, was just starting to getting in the groove as he hit Ashton Agar for a massive six in the previous over. But the left-hander departs after an 18-ball 16 -- the first time that he was able to score in the double digits. 

Mahmudullah departs; Tigers lose fourth wicket

[Wicket] Overs 13.3; Ban 84/4: Ashton Agar removes Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad. A short of a length delivery came late to the bat but Mahmudullah, who went on his backfoot, goes through with the shot and gets a leading edge. Agar takes an easy catch off his ball.

Shakib dismissed leg before for first time in T20Is

[Wicket] Overs 9.6; Ban 60/3: Shakib Al Hasan plays across the line off an Adam Zampa delivery and gets dismissed LBW for the first time ever in T20Is. The ball from the leg-spinner pitched on the middle stump and went on to hit Shakib on his pads as he tried to play it on the leg side. Shakib, playing in his 84th T20I, had never been dismissed leg-before till Zampa's delivery got the champion all-rounder trapped in front today. He departs after a 20-ball 11.

Naim departs after yet another decent start

[Wicket] Overs 8.2; Ban 57/2: A pre-meditated reverse sweep from left-hander Mohammad Naim and he perishes yet again after getting a start. A good length ball on the off-side by Dan Christian and Naim, who had made up his mind for a reverse sweep, went on with the shot and ended up giving an easy catch to the fielder at point. Naim walks out after a run-a-ball 23 and it is not the first time in the series that the left-hander failed to build after getting a good start. 

Tigers lose Mahedi after flying start

[Wicket] Overs 4.3; Ban 42/1: A length delivery from Ashton Turner and Mahedi Hasan goes on the backfoot to pull it. However, Mahedi loses his grip on the bat and ends up top-edging to the fielder at mid-wicket. Bangladesh lose their first wicket after their brightest start with the bat in the series so far.

Soumya demoted; Tigers off to flying start

End of 4 overs: Ban 35/0

Bangladesh made a clear change in their approach to the game, demoting Soumya Sarkar down the batting order and sending all-rounder Mahedi Hasan to open with Mohammad Naim instead. And it seems like the change worked in favour of the Tigers as both Naim and Mahedi helped Bangladesh race to 35 for no loss in four overs. Mahedi started off by sweeping Ashton Turner for a boundary in the very first over with Naim following it up with a massive six over square leg off Ashton Agar in the first ball of the next over. The opening duo also did not let leg-spinner Adam Zampa settle, hitting him for a four each in his first over of the game. 

Tigers opt to bat; Aussies field two leg-spinners

Bangladesh have won the toss and the Tigers will be batting first against Australia in the fifth and final T20I at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today.

Bangladesh have made two changes in the squad. Mosaddek Hossain replaces young Shamim Hossain while Shoriful Islam, who as per skipper Mahmudullah Riyad is suffering from a 'slight niggle', has been rested with all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin making his first appearance in the series. 

Australia, meanwhile, have also made two changes. Young pacer Nathan Ellis and leg-spinner Adam Zampa are back for Andrew Tye and Josh Hazlewood. And that means Australia are going with three frontline spinners for the first time in T20Is with two of them -- Zampa and Mitchell Swepson -- being leg-spinners.   

After Bangladesh had already wrapped up the five-match series with three consecutive wins, Australia managed to salvage a victory in the fourth T20I on Saturday. 

Will this be another low-scoring contest? As it stands, with an average scoring rate of 5.86, this series has already become the slowest T20I series of at least three matches that has ever been played.

Bangladesh utilised the home conditions to their benefit very well, preparing slow and gripping wickets best suited for the Tigers' spinners and someone like Mustafizur Rahman.

However, Australia deployed a relatively spin-heavy eleven in the fourth T20I and led by leggie Swepson, the Aussies were able to scrape a three-wicket victory -- their first win in the series -- in that game.  

Playing XI:

Bangladesh: Mahmudullah Riyad, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed

Australia: Alex Carey, Ben McDermott, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Matthew Wade, Ashton Turner, Ashton Agar, Nathan Ellis, Dan Christian, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa