Aussies survive another collapse to topple Bangladesh by three wickets – New Delhi uncertain as venue for Twenty20 semifinal match

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BENGALURU, March 21, (Agencies): Australia survived another middle-order collapse to beat Bangladesh by three wickets in the World Twenty20 Super 10 on Monday to get their campaign up and running.

Both teams were looking to bounce back from losing their opening Group Two games, Australia skipper Steve Smith winning the toss and choosing to field.

Smith’s men picked up wickets at regular intervals to restrict Bangladesh to a modest 156 for five despite a late flurry by Mahmudullah who hit seven fours in an unbeaten 49.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa (3-23) and all-rounder Shane Watson (2-31) were the pick of the bowlers.

Openers Usman Khawaja (58) and Watson (21) then got Australia off to a good start, sharing a stand of 62 in 44 deliveries before the latter was run out.

Khawaja was bowled by Al-Amin Hossain in the 14th over having struck seven fours and a six in a 45-ball knock that gave Australia a solid platform, although they had the same sort of middle-order slump they suffered in the first game against New Zealand.

Smith, out for six against the Kiwis, was bowled by Mustafizur Rahman for 14.

David Warner (17) was next to fall and was soon followed by Mitchell Marsh (six).

Glenn Maxwell then scored a brisk 26 before being stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan.

All-rounder John Hastings, brought in by Australia for left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, was dropped on nought by Hossain and finally went for three when he was caught at mid-wicket by Soumya Sarkar.

By then Australia needed five runs off the last two overs and James Faulkner and Peter Nevill saw them through to a far-from-convincing win that lifted them to third in the group behind New Zealand and Pakistan but ahead of India.

Bangladesh, who are bottom, have a mountain to climb to reach the semifinals. Meanwhile, Bangladesh have appealed to cricket’s world governing body to lift the suspension on paceman Taskin Ahmed, who was ruled out of the ongoing World Twenty20 in India due to an illegal action.

Taskin and left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny were suspended from bowling in international cricket on Saturday after being reported by match officials following Bangladesh’s qualifying match against the Netherlands in Dharamsala on March 9.

“We are not convinced about Taskin as of now. We don’t have any reason to be satisfied with the report,” Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan told reporters. “And that’s disappointing, so we have appealed to the ICC.

“They are going to sit down with a team of legal experts and will inform us of their decision as soon as possible.”

A World Twenty20 semifinal match may have to be moved to another venue after a court refused to intervene in a matter concerning the use of an important part of the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.

A stand which houses the media and broadcasters, as well as VIP seats, has only managed ad hoc clearances over the years because it is close to the Kotla Baoli heritage site.

“We cannot pass an order allowing you to hold matches until you get the completion certificate,” the Delhi High Court said Monday while referring the matter to a separate bench already hearing a related case.

Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz and batsman Mohammad Hafeez are doubtful starters in a key World Twenty20 match against unbeaten New Zealand on Tuesday. Left-armer Riaz was hit by a ball on the head during a training session on Monday while Hafeez has pain in the right knee.

The Pakistan Cricket Board says in a medical bulletin that Riaz was hospitalized and later given the all-clear. It adds that his fitness will be assessed on Tuesday.

Hafeez had complained of knee pain for the last two days and the PCB says “it is likely that he would not be able to take part in the match against the Black Caps.”

Pakistan has two points from two matches in Group 2 after it beat Bangladesh before losing to rival India.

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