Bangladesh would like to end the ICC Cricket World Cup on a high note as they take on Australia in their ninth and the last match at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune tomorrow (Saturday).
The match will start at 11am (Bangladesh Time).
Already out of the semifinal race, which was their primary goal, Bangladesh’s only target is to keep the Champions Trophy alive. And it looked all likely following Sri Lanka’s five-wicket defeat to New Zealand but yet not officially confirmed.
Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy hopes only could be ruined if Netherlands win its match against India and the Tigers themselves suffer defeat to Australia in extremely big margin.
Along with hosts Pakistan, top eight teams of the World Cup will take part in the Champions Trophy.
Bangladesh began the tournament with a six-wicket victory over Afghanistan but thereafter their performance took a huge nosedive as they lost six matches on the trot to be eliminated from the semifinal race.
As everything looked gloomy for them, they found their form in the match against Sri Lanka, which they eventually won by three wickets to keep the Champions Trophy hopes alive.
In that match, the International cricket saw the first ‘timed out’ dismissal in its 146-year history, when Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan inflicted it on Sri Lankan veteran Angelo Mathews.
Mathews took the time more than two minutes to be at the crease because of the broken strap of his helmet. According to ICC playing conditions, opposition captain could appeal for dismissal if a batter takes more than two minutes.
“One of our fielders came to me and said if you appeal now he’ll be out. Then I appealed and the umpires asked me if I’m serious or whether I am going to take it back. It’s in the laws. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong. I felt like I was at war and I had to take a decision to make sure my team wins,” Shakib told the broadcaster after the match.
Sri Lanka were all out for 279 and Bangladesh chased it down thanks to Shakib’s 65 ball-82. As it was expected, the cricket world was sharply divided by the dismissal. While some cricket experts accepted it, some other, including Bangladesh fast bowling coach Alan Donald couldn’t accept it in any way.
Shakib however was ruled out of the match against Australia with a fractured index finger. It was later revealed by the team management that the ace allrounder batted with broken finger to win the match for the side.
Australia meanwhile confirmed their semifinal and they did in style in a match which will be remembered as a ‘Glenn Maxwell’ match. Coming to bat after the side was left at tricky 98-7 in the chase of 292, a severely injured Maxwell, literally with one leg, produced the greatest innings of ODI cricket history, slamming a 128 ball-201 not out, which helped the side win the game against Afghanistan by three wickets from the jaws of the defeat.
It is highly likely that Maxwell could be rested along with some first choice players.
Bangladesh’s record against Australia is nothing to rejoice. In the 21 ODIs, between the two teams, Bangladesh won just one and that too in 2005 in Cardiff when Mohammad Ashraful’s landmark century downed the then all conquering Australia. Australia however won 19 and one match ended in a no result.
In World Cup match, the two teams played four times with Australia winning three. One match that was washed out in 2015 World Cup, played a key role in Bangladesh’s move to the quarterfinal. That still remains Bangladesh’s best World Cup journey.
Bangladesh: Liton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
