Australia vs Bangladesh Prediction: Bangladesh will play for Champions League spot

Australia and Bangladesh are going head to head in the 43rd Match of the Cricket World Cup at MCA Stadium, Pune on 11 Nov 2023. Australia were down and out in the previous game but Glen Maxwell did the unthinkable and won them the game and a spot in the semi-finals. They would want to continue the momentum against Bangladesh who are down and out of the tournament. Who will win this game of cricket?

Australia had a shaky start at the beginning of this tournament, losing consecutive matches. However, they have since won all six of their matches and secured a spot in the semifinals. Australia, known for its strong batting line-up, will aim to score a massive total if they have the opportunity to bat first. David Warner, the team's top scorer, alongside Travis Head, will be responsible for providing a strong start. Steve Smith, who has struggled to score runs, needs to find form as the playoffs approach. In their previous match against Afghanistan, Australia's top order faced a collapse, but Glenn Maxwell played an exceptional innings to maintain the team's winning streak. In addition, Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne are also in good form. In terms of bowling, Adam Zampa leads with 20 wickets. The seam attack of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins has also been performing well, collectively taking 32 wickets.

David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Bangladesh, who has already been eliminated from the race to the semifinals, will be playing for pride in their upcoming match. Additionally, they will also be looking to secure a spot in the 2025 Champions League. Their previous match was noteworthy as it witnessed international cricket's first-ever dismissal through a time-out. Despite this, Bangladesh managed to defeat their arch-rivals Sri Lanka, securing their second win of the tournament. The performance of their top-order batsmen has been inconsistent throughout the tournament. Tanzid Hasan has faced challenges, while Litton Das has only managed to score over 40 runs in one out of the last four matches. However, fans were pleased to witness a fluent knock of 90 runs from Najmul Hossain Shanto in the previous match and will hope for another impressive inning from him. With Shakib Al-Hasan unavailable for this match, there will be added pressure on Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur Rahim to contribute with runs. The bowling unit has also performed below expectations, with Mehidy Hasan and Shoriful Islam taking 10 wickets each, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman have only picked up a total of 8 wickets between them.

Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam

Based on historical statistics, it can be observed that teams batting first have a slight advantage at the MCA Stadium, winning 6 out of the 11 matches played here. Consequently, it is likely that the winner of the coin toss will choose to bat first.

The MCA Stadium is known for its exceptional batting track, indicating the possibility of another high-scoring game. The average score in the first innings is approximately 320, but the team batting first will aim for a target of 350 runs. Since this is a day game, the presence of dew will not affect the gameplay. However, the fast bowlers can anticipate some assistance from the pitch as long as they maintain accurate line and length.

The weather forecast predicts clear skies with a few clouds scattered around. The temperature is expected to range between 27 and 32 degrees Celsius.

Australia has demonstrated excellent performance in recent weeks. With most of their players in good form, they are expected to have no trouble defeating Bangladesh. Therefore, it is advisable to bet on Australia as the favourable outcome.