Australia beat Bangladesh by four wickets in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.
Australia reached the target of 132 in 18.2 overs after Bangladesh were bowled out for only 131 in 19 overs, as Australia’s four spinners shared nine wickets between them.
This was the highest number of wickets for Australian spinners in a single T20I innings, beating the previous record of seven, at Johannesburg in 2020.
Bangladesh were without Litton Das, who was still under observation due to a grade 1 strain of the left calf muscle, while the newly appointed vice-captain Towhid Hridoy stepped in to lead the side.
He opted to bat first before Bangladesh lost both openers inside the powerplay despite Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan making a brisk start. Tanzid threw his wicket away while Saif fell trying to play across the line.
52-2 in the powerplay should have been considered a good score for Bangladesh, but calamities followed as the middle order started to crumble.
They lost five wickets for just 29 runs as the Australian spinners spun a web around them. With no Litton in the eleven, Bangladesh seemed clueless during that phase.
Debutant left-arm spinner Joel Davies took 3-17 from four overs, while leg spinner Adam Zampa took 3-18 from four. Matt Renshaw, with his part-time off spin continued his fine form with the ball in the tour as he grabbed 2-26, while another debutant leg spinner Nikhil Chaudhury, chipped in with one.
Zampa also picked up his 150th T20I wicket when he had Shoriful Islam, as Bangladesh slipped to 108-9, before Mahedi Hasan lifted them to 131, remaining unbeaten on 29 off 22.
Australia also had a similar start to Bangladesh, losing both openers while they made 47 runs in the powerplay.
However, a 40-run partnership from 28 balls between Cooper Connolly and Tim David put them on a different trajectory since then.
Connolly, who scored a majestic 149 in the last ODI, scored 47 off 27 before becoming the first scalp of debutant Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.
David also fell to Mahedi after making 20, while Nikhil fell to Rishad after scoring 18. Renshaw, who made 18 from 28, became Saqlain’s second wicket, but it was too late for the hosts.
