Bangladesh vs Australia, T20Is: Here are the key takeaways
The Bangladesh cricket team enjoyed a dominating 4-1 performance against Australia in the recently concluded five-match T20I series. Bangladesh had taken an unassailable 3-0 lead before Australia clinched the fourth T20I. The fifth T20I saw Australia get bowled out for just 62 in a chase of 123. It was a poor performance by Matthew Wade's side. Here we decode the key takeaways.
A low-scoring series on offer
The five-match series was a low-scoring affair as the pitches in Dhaka didn't support batting at large. Both teams struggled with the bat as the highest score in the series was 131/7 in the first T20I by Bangladesh. Bangladesh managed to surpass 120-plus on four occasions. A total of 74 wickets fell in the series across the five matches.
Shakib makes his presence felt for Bangladesh
34-year-old star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan exploited the conditions well as his experience came into play. Shakib was consistent with scores of 36, 26, 26, 15, and 11. He also claimed seven wickets in the series, including 4/9 in the final encounter. Shakib was economical, spinning his web around the Aussie batters. He had an off day (0/50) in the fourth encounter.
Matthew Wade suffers badly with the bat
The Australian cricket team needed its skipper to lead from the front and to be honest, Wade was a big disappointment. The southpaw lacked character and personality with the bat. With just 42 runs from five matches at an average of 8.40, Wade was abysmal. Wade was guilty of playing several poor shots as he looked lost at the crease.
Bangladesh bowlers thrive collectively
Bangladesh bowlers enjoyed themselves in the middle. Nasum Ahmed, who has played nine T20Is in his career, was the pick of the lot. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler accounted for eight wickets, registering his best figure in T20Is as well (4/19). Pacer Mustafizur Rahman was effective with his slower balls and took seven scalps alongside Shoriful Islam. Fizz was highly economical as well.
Alarm bells for Australia in T20Is
The Aussies suffered a fifth successive T20I series on the trot. They have played 21 T20Is during this phase, winning just six matches and losing 15. They suffered a second successive T20I series loss by a 1-4 margin. Notably, Australia have lost in several nations.
