Bangladesh beat Australia by 23 runs in the opening match to take a 1-0 lead in the BAN vs. AUS 2021 T20I series. Bangladesh will have an opportunity to extend the lead in the series if they win on Wednesday at the SBNCS in Mirpur. Australia will try to level the series but Bangladesh will be the favorite if they can maintain the fighting attitude that they displayed in the first match. Almost every Bangladesh player in the playing XI contributed to this historic triumph. The match report of the BAN vs. AUS 2021 Twenty20 International series is discussed in this article.
BAN vs. AUS 2021: Match Report of First T20I
It was a hot day in Dhaka, and the Australian players had to adapt to the new environment. During the game, it was apparent that the Australian batters were struggling to cope with the pitch conditions. They aren't used to such a spin track, particularly in the T20 format. As a result, Australia were unable to chase down the small target and lost the first game of the series by 23 runs.
No one expected Bangladesh spinners to upset the Australian batting order and achieve a sensational victory when the Australian openers stepped out to bat in pursuit of 132 runs. Bangladesh, on the other hand, struck first with Mahadi Hasan's first ball of the innings. Bangladesh took two more wickets in the next two overs.
Skipper Mahmudullah Riyad deserves special praise for his decision-making. Riyad employed three spinners in the opening three overs, preventing the Australian top order from settling in the middle. Mahadi, Nasum, and Shakib all took wickets in their respective first overs.
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Australia were under pressure after losing three wickets for only 11 runs in three overs. The in-form Mitchell Marsh and Captain Mathew Wade then took a cautious approach to rebuild the innings. They carried the total to 49 runs in the tenth over before Nasum Ahmed removed Wade with an ordinary delivery.
Things began to shift in Bangladesh's favor after the Wade-Mitchell partnership was broken. The bowlers started to put more pressure on the Australian batsmen by maintaining good line and length with the ball.
Australia had a chance till Mitchell Marsh remained at the crease. However, Australia's batting crumbled after Mitchell Marsh (45) was bowled by Nasum Ahmed in the 16th over. The left-arm orthodox spinner won the player of the match award after taking four wickets for only 19 runs.
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In the end, Australia were bowled out for 108 runs in exactly 20 overs. Bangladesh successfully defended a low total against mighty Australia. Apart from the spinners, Bangladesh's pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam bowled effectively as well. They each took two wickets in this match.
Earlier, Australia's stand-in skipper Mathew Wade opted to bowl first on a spin-friendly surface. Two spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar were picked in Australia's playing XI. Both have a proven track record on subcontinent surfaces. In particular, their IPL experiences have come in handy in the series.
Bangladesh were watchful of the two Australian spinners but tried to score quickly against the fast bowlers. That is why Aussie pacers picked up most of the Bangladeshi wickets. Only Adam Zampa took the wicket of opener Mohammad Naim among the spinners. The left-hand opener got off to a good start, scoring 30 runs before being clean bowled by leg-spinner Adam Zampa in the seventh over.
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Bangladesh's batters failed to increase the run rates, and whenever they tried to attack the bowlers, they lost wickets.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad recorded the highest 36-run partnership for Bangladesh in the third wicket. They pushed the total to 73 runs within 13th over. Shakib scored the highest 36 runs for Bangladesh before being bowled by Hazlewood in the 17th over.
Left-handed batsman Afif Hossain played an important 20-run knock in the death overs to assist Bangladesh set up a challenging total (131/7) to defend on a tricky surface. Josh Hazlewood was the best Aussie bowler in the match. He picked up 3 wickets for 24 runs.
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Bottom Line
The factors that led to Bangladesh's victory against Australia in the first match of the BAN vs. AUS 2021 series should be maintained in the second match. Because it is crucial for the players to put in consistent performances in order to stay firm in the contest. Furthermore, Bangladesh's players must strive to rectify their mistakes so that they do not repeat them in the next encounter. On the other side, Australia will play with a lot of aggression in the second match in an attempt to level the series. So, we can expect that the second match will be an even more fascinating contest.