Tigers' nightmare run ends with a defeat
Tigers' nightmare run ends with a defeat
Bangladesh finished their ICC World Twenty20 campaign without any fond memories as they suffered a seven-wicket defeat, their fourth in as many Super 10s games, against Australia at the Sher-e-Bangla national Stadium yesterday.
A slightly improved batting, courtesy of a 112-run third-wicket stand between Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, was not good enough for the home side to prove themselves as a competitive team in the shortest format of the game.
Bangladesh had crawled into the Super 10s, and not only they lost all the matches against the top sides but also failed to make any good advertisement for the country's cricket in the global event.
Australia too might have come into the last match, a dead rubber, without a win, but they showed the difference by overtaking the home side's total of 153 runs with 15 balls remaining.
If the so-called expectation, as claimed by some of the team members, was any issue behind the Tigers' dismal performance in the tournament, then Mushfiqur Rahim and company were relieved of that burden finally. Their performance yesterday only showed why they could not make any impact in the tournament. It remained a burning question to millions of irritated fans, whose expectations were for a fight from the Tigers win or lose, why they failed to put up a challenging total despite having a good partnership and the first half-century by Shakib for his side. Thanks should be given to the Australian fielders also as they gifted some runs.
Australia suffered a pathetic collapse in their batting against a disciplined Indian bowling attack, but still 153 was never going to be a good score on this pitch to defend against such a vaunted batting line-up and Aaron Finch and David Warner ascertained it during their 98-run opening partnership. The two dashing openers displayed their power-hitting against the Bangladesh bowling attack except debutant pace bowler Taskin Ahmed, who came into the side in place of injured Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.
If the home side wanted to take anything from the last match then it was the bowling of young pacer Taskin, who not only showed his nerve in his first international game but also bowled in right areas when Finch and Warner were on fire.
When Taskin bowled dashing Glenn Maxwell for his first international wicket, the match was almost over, but his first spell of 2-0-5-0 and then the final figures of 4-0-24-1 with 13 dot balls must have encouraged the Bangladesh think-tank when they have been suffering with their pace-bowling department.
Finch, who once survived as umpire Kumar Dharmasena overlooked a deflection, was the hero and his 45-ball 71 that featured seven fours and four sixes rightfully earned him the player-of-the-match award while Warner hit a 35-ball 48 with five fours and three sixes and together they put the final nail in Bangladesh's coffin.