Australia vs Bangladesh T20I: Can Bangladesh at least end with a win?

The Super 12s stage in Group 1 is steadily heading towards its concluding stages. In this game of the Group 1 scenario, a desperate Australian team meets the already out of contention Bangladesh outfit. The battle for the last spot is now between Australia, West Indies, and South Africa so this becomes a crucial game for the Aussies. For a brief look at the scenario, simply head to the “Expert Betting Tips” section.

Australia: Wobbly but still in contention

Australia: Warner and Finch are still not at their best

Australia lost in a one-sided fashion to the English team and didn’t look at its best. David Warner has played one big inning in three games, Finch has looked more reassuring but except for the game against Sri Lanka, Australia has struggled. Steve Smith has been the most reliable player for them while Matthew Wade, Marcus Stoinis, and Glenn Maxwell form a strong middle-order. However, the team has not been convincing so far and needs to perform before the Semis hopes shut themselves out.

The bowling is better but got taken apart by England

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Star, and Josh Hazelwood as the pace trio is one of the best Test bowling combinations in the world. In the T20Is, the results have been mixed. Starc has not been at his best in T20Is and those pinpoint yorkers have not been seen for a long time. Hazelwood has tried to keep it tight while Cummins hits the deck hard but both have not taken many wickets thus far. Adam Zampa has been stellar so far while Ashton Agar was the only bowler against the six-happy England who could do some damage. Overall, the bowlers have been clinical in two of three games but England exposed some weak links. Can they bounce back versus Bangladesh?

• Highest wicket-takers: Adam Zampa:5, Mitchell Starc: 4, Pat Cummins: 3, Josh Hazelwood:2;
• Highest run scorers: Aaron Finch: 81 runs, David Warner: 80 runs, Steven Smith: 64 runs;
• Most catches (not by a wicketkeeper): Steve Smith: 3.

Bangladesh: Another underwhelming tournament

Missing key moments

Bangladesh hit a new low with just 84 runs in the last game. The batting falls apart in key moments and despite great individual talent, the team doesn’t click as a whole. Liton Das has made runs in the last two innings but he has not been at his best. Mohammad Naim has also fallen cheaply in the last two games while the same goes for Mushfiqur Rahim. Mahmudullah has also not played one of his signature innings so far and overall, with Shakib out, the batting unit is not clicking. How will the batters perform against a powerful bowling of the Aussies? The experience of Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur will surely be key.

The bowling has shown promise

In the last two innings, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam have stepped up, both being striking and economical options. Spinner Mehdi Hasan has been bowling well too but in absence of Shakib, the fourth and fifth bowling options are lacking. Mustafizur didn’t play in the last game but can get a chance here, however, he hasn’t brought out his best game either. The bowlers have not received much support from fielders and that is a key part of any setup. Can the bowlers perform some magic with the World Cup exit confirmed now?

Super 12s peak performers in four games for Bangladesh are given below:

• Highest wicket-takers: Nasum Ahmed: 4, Mahedi Hasan: 3, Taskin Ahmad & Mustafizur Rahman: 2;
• Highest run scorers: Mushfiqur Rahim: 94, Mohammad Naim & Liton Das: 93, Mahmudullah: 63;
• Most catches (not by a wicketkeeper): Mohammad Naim: 3, Saumya Sarka: 2.

Pitch Conditions and Head-to-Head

Pitch: The pitch in Dubai has some help for spinners and seamers have also been able to extract some advantage. The ball has gripped on the surface and timing the ball hasn’t been easy for even batters like Rohit Sharma. Australia may go with two spinners again with Zampa and Agar. Meanwhile, Bangladesh can be in a quandary if they should play Nasum Ahmed, who has given runs but can also take wickets, or bring Mustafizur. Pitches have been remodeled in the World Cup like we saw a green and seam-friendly surface in Abu Dhabi. So, the nature of the pitch is unknown before the game starts.

Head-to-head: Out of the nine contests, Australia has beaten Bangladesh 5 times. However, the four wins for Bangladesh came during this year against a second-string Australian team and at home. Neither is Bangladesh in a similar form nor Australia are fielding a second unit. Overall, it is an advantage for Australia. 

Expert Betting tips

Here are some key notes for the game:

• Adam Zampa has taken at least one wicket every game and has five in total at 1.67 wickets per game;
• Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmad have been in great knick for Bangladesh in the last two games;
• Mohammad Naim has bagged three catches so far in the Super 12s;
• Shakib Al Hasan will not play in the game;
• Liton Das has scored 24 or more in the last two games;
• Nasum Ahmed has picked up wickets but his economy rate is too high so Mustafizur may end up playing;
• Steven Smith has scored 28 or more in two of the last three games;
• Ashton Agar collected 40 Performance Points in the last match;
• Glenn Maxwell is averaging just 13 in the tournament so far;
• Australia lost 7 of their 10 wickets to fast bowling in the last match;
• Josh Hazelwood has only taken two wickets in three matches but can be difficult for Bangladeshi openers;
• Australia need to win this game or their Semi-Finals hopes can take a big blow;
• Australia is more likely to hit more sixes than Bangladesh.

Betting Options

• Batsman Matches (Most Runs): M Naim vs LK Das, 1 for 2.00;
• Team 1 Best Bowler: Pat Cummins for 4.50;
• Aaron Finch Total Runs- 20 Overs, Over (23.5) for 1.83.