Bangladesh crush Aussies to take series 4-1

Bangladesh completely dominated Australia in the fifth and final twenty20 international of the series on Monday as they beat the Aussies by 60 runs to claim the series by a 4-1 margin.

Batting first, Bangladesh put up 122 runs for eight wickets on a slow surface, similar to the ones used throughout the series. Chasing 123, Australia could not put up a fight worth two pennies as they crumbled out for 62, their lowest-ever score in T20Is.

Shakib Al Hasan picked up four wickets for nine runs, with Mohammad Saifuddin picking up three.

Mahmudullah Riyad won the toss for the third consecutive time and decided to bat first like the previous matches. Bangladesh had brought in a couple of changes as Saifuddin and Mosaddek Hossain came in replacing Shoriful Islam and Shamim Hossain. Australia also rang in some changes as Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis returned to the XI instead of Josh Hazlewood and Andrew Tye.

Bangladesh promoted Mahedi Hasan up the order to open the innings. And it clicked to some extent as he and Naim Sheikh put together an opening stand of 42 runs in just 27 deliveries.

Ashton Turner sent Mahedi back for 13, and coming in at three, Shakib struggled once again before getting trapped leg before by Adam Zampa for just 11 off 20 deliveries. Despite a good start, none of the Bangladesh middle-order batsmen could capitalise as they scored only 62 runs from the last ten overs.

In reply, Australia lost their hero from the last match Dan Christian in the second over as he tried to pull Nasum Ahmed and saw his stumps rattled. Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s most consistent batsman on this series, also fell prey to Nasum as he was trapped LBW for only four. Matthew Wade put up a brief stand of 21 runs with Ben McDermott, but Shakib broke that when he came in to pick up his 99th T20I wicket by sending the Aussie skipper back for 22.

Mahmudullah then sent McDermott back as the Aussie batsman gave him an easy return catch. Saifuddin rattled Alex Carey’s stumps first and then a ball later, made Moises Henriques hand a dolly to wicket-keeper Nurul Hasan Sohan.

In the next over, Shakib picked up his 100th T20I wicket as Ashton Turner cut a short delivery from him straight to Mahmudullah Riyad at short cover. Shakib is now the only cricketer to have 1000 runs and 100 wickets in T20Is.

Saifuddin then bowled Ashton Agar for two as the Aussies slumped to 56 for eight. In the 14th over, Shakib came in to rattle Ellis’ stumps first and then got Zampa to bowl Australia out for only 62, their lowest-ever total in T20Is.