T20 World Cup: Australia boost semis hopes with Bangladesh rout in Dubai

Mohammad Abdullah, Senior Sports Reporter

Legspinner Adam Zampa bowled a mesmerising spell to help Australia set up an eight-wicket victory against Bangladesh in their T20 World Cup match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Zampa-led Australian bowlers pulled Bangladesh down to set them a paltry total of 73 runs.

Captain Aaron Finch blasted a 20-ball 40 and shared a 58-run partnership with David Warner to lead the chase as Australia went over the line for the loss of just two wickets with 82 balls to spare. With the victory, Australia have improved their run rate considerably and boosted their hopes of making it to the semi-finals.

Adam Zampa (C) is congratulated by teammates after taking the wicket of Shoriful Islam in Dubai. AP

Australia and South Africa are in contention for the remaining semi-final berth after England have already punched their tickets into the last with four wins on a trot. Earlier, Bangladesh’s batting once again faltered and another script of an infamous collapse was written in Dubai.

Bangladesh, who were stunned by Scotland in the first round, failed to win a single match in the Super 12 stage and ended their campaign on a dismal note. Once again the opening pair of Liton Das and Mohammad Naim failed to give them the start they would have wanted to finish on the winning note.

Mitchell Starc rattled the stumps of Das to trigger the collapse as Bangladesh lost their first wicket with just one run on the board. In the next over, Josh Hazlewood uprooted the wickets of Soumya Sarkar to make it 6/2. Glenn Maxwell trapped Mushfiqur Rahim to push Bangladesh on the back foot completely as they were struggling at 10/3 in just three overs. Naim was holding the fort alone before Hazlewood had him caught by Cummins to leave them tottering at 32/4.

Bangladesh needed someone to play a sheet-anchor role to revive the stuttering innings. But it was not to be so. Naim’s dismissal opened the floodgates for Zampa, who was lurking like a cat, let loose among the pigeons. He ripped through the lower order and accounted for five wickets conceding just 19 runs. Every time Bangladesh tried to make a stride with a partnership, Zampa pegged them back with a wicket or two.

He got Afif Hossain caught by Finch and removed Shamim Hossain and Mahdei Hasan off successive deliveries. Shamim was taken by wicketkeeper Wades while trying to play a square cut while Hasan was caught plumb as Bangladesh were reduced to 62/7. Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam became his third and fourth victims. Mustafizur holed out to Smith in the square leg as Finch took a sharp catch in the slip as Bangladesh could manage to muster only 73.