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Bangalore: Adam Zampa claim three wickets and Usman Khawaja scored his maiden T20I half-century, as Australia beat Bangladesh by three-wickets in ICC World T20 2016 at the MA Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday.
Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan claimed three for 27 for Bangladesh.
Earlier, Australia skipper Steven Smith won the toss and elected to bowl first, as Bangladesh posted a challenging total of 156 for the loss of five wickets, courtesy of a crucial innings from Mahmudullah of 49.
The match was marred by plenty of close chances fopr Bangladesh, with Australia emerging victorious in the end.
Australia were off to a great start in the chase, as the openers in the form of Usman Khawaja and Shane Watson put up the opening 62 run stand, before Watson was dismissed off an unfortunate run out by Sabbir Rahman at the score of 21 in the eighth over.
It was followed by a healthy 33-run stand for the second wicket, between Khawaja and skipper Smith, before Smith fell for mere 14, after being bowled by Mustafizur Rahman in the 12th over.
The partnerships from hereon began to get loose, as at the score of 115, it was Khawaja, who was dismissed for 58 by Al-Amin Hossain, after being bowled by him in the 14th over.
It was Khawaja’s maiden T20I half-century, that came off 47 deliveries, including seven boundaries and a six, along with a strike rate of 129. The wicket was followed by another, with just four runs added to the total, as the explosive David Warner was dismissed for mere 17 by their star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, after being caught and bowled by him in the 15th over.
As the score reached 135, it was all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who fell for mere six, after being caught by Shakib off Mustafizur in the 17th over, followed by a 13-run stand between the explosive Glenn Maxwell and all-rounder James Faulkner, before Maxwell fell for 26 off Shakib in the next over, after being stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim, off an careless and useless attempt off Maxwell.
Following his dismissal, there were a couple of more chances off dismissal, off a catch and run out, which were evntually missed by the Bangladeshis in the same over.
However, it was in the same over, John Hastings was dismissed off Shakib, after being caught by Soumya Sarkar, with just four added to the total, as the score read 152 for the loss of seven wickets.
It was the pair of Fulkner and Peter Nevill that batted out until the end, as Faulkner hit the wining boundary to notch up a three-wicket win.
Earlier, Mahmudullah struck an aggressive unbeaten 49 as Bangladesh made 156 for five. The allrounder smashed seven fours and one six off just 29 balls after Australian captain Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bowl first in the Super 10 Group Two match.
Seasoned T20 campaigner Shakib Al Hasan also chipped in with 33 off 25 balls. Shakib struck three fours and one six before being caught by Nathan Coulter-Nile off Adam Zampa for the fifth wicket.
Spinner Zampa, 23, spearheaded the Australian bowling attack by taking three wickets, his first in T20 internationals, while veteran all-rounder Shane Watson claimed two.
Opener Soumya Sarkar was caught for one trying to slash a Watson delivery, only for Glenn Maxwell to take a strightforward catch at point.
Sabbir Rahman scored 12 off 17 balls before James Faulkner took a diving catch off a Watson delivery in the sixth over at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Shuvagata Hom, rushed into the side as one of the replacements for Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny, was lbw to Zampa for 13.
Brief scores
Bangladesh - 156 for 5 (Mahmudullah 49*, Shakib 33, Zampa 3-23, Watson 2-31)
Australia - 157 for 7 (Khawaja 58, Shakib 3-27, Rahman 2-30)
Result - Australia won by 3 wickets
Points - Australia 2, Bangladesh 0
MOM - Adam Zampa (Australia)
