Time: August 4, 17:30 IST
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
Pitch report
The Dhaka pitch was nothing like the one from the past. The batters struggled to keep the scorecard ticking, and it only got tougher as the match progressed.
Of the 17 wickets that fell last night, 10 belonged to the pacers. However, the Player of the Match performance came from a spinner.
Teams
Bangladesh wouldn’t tinker with their winning XI.
Probable XI for Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mahmudullah (c), Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed
Matthew Wade moved down the order so they get used to the plans they have dished out for the upcoming World T20. From what we witnessed yesterday, they need more time to get accustomed to it.
Probable XI for Australia: Josh Philippe, Alex Carey, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade (c & wk), Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Fantasy tips
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Players to watch out for
Australia had no answers to Nasum Ahmed’s slow left-arm orthodox. He cramped them for room, and the slowness of the pitch further choked the visitors. 4 of his 2 wickets were that of the in-form Mitchell Marsh and the devastating Matthew Wade.
Australia’s batting seems to be revolving around Mitchell Marsh. He was their star performer on the West Indies tour and he was their top-scorer yesterday. His 45 runs kept Australia in the hunt, but wickets at the other end couldn’t get the best out of him.
Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the pacers. His lines and lengths throttled the home team. He took the key wickets of Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mahmudullah.
Mitchell Starc is a death-over specialist and he did not disappoint the fantasy players that picked him. He finished with figures of 2 for 33.
Shakib Al Hasan likes dominating the Aussies, especially in this shortest format. His 36 off 33 held the fort and then his 1 for 24 further dented Australia’s confidence.
Mustafizur Rahman’s off-cutters are even more lethal on this pitch. His accuracy and change-in-pace deliveries fetched him figures of 2 for 16.
Prediction
Bangladesh have decided that they will trap Australia in spin. They opened their bowling with Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed, and then introduced Shakib Al Hasan in the powerplay. Mustafizur’s variations further worsened Australia’s chances of winning. To put things into perspective, Australia will have to find a way to tackle spin. Counterattack is one option, but they have to first sort their shot selection. Toss too will be crucial. Both teams will have to punch well above their weight if they are to chase anything above 130 runs.
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