Bragging rights is at stake for Australia as their inexperienced team will confront Bangladesh in the five-match T20 series starting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday. Tigers are likely to give a tough fight to Aussies to end the unwanted record of never registering a T20 win against them.
Australia have always been a difficult proposition for Bangladesh as the Tigers have beaten them only twice, each at ODI and Test formats. This is the first bilateral T20 series between the two sides. Aussies won all of their previous four meetings. Country’s cricket fanatics are awaiting a thrilling encounter between the two as both side still possess some top players who can swing the match at any moment for their respective teams.
Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is likely to carry the biggest threat for the Aussies. Last time when Australia toured Bangladesh in 2017 for a two-match Test series, Shakib gave them torrid time on the pitch. There was however extra motivation for Shakib to come up with his best against Australia. While Bangladesh didn’t play against Australia more often, Shakib will definitely try to make the series a memorable one and also he is shy of just five wickets to become the only second bowler in T20 International cricket to claim 100 wickets after Sri Lankan great Lasith Malinga.
Tigers skipper Mahmudullah Riyad will also be a key player throughout the series as his tactical noose of leading the team in crunch moments will be vital. Due to absence of other key players, the skipper is likely to move himself up the batting order.
Twenty-year-old Shamim Hossain made a promising start to his career when he closed out the tough chase in the decider against Zimbabwe with 31 off 15 balls. That came just a couple of days after he had impressed on debut with 29 off 13 deliveries in a chase that came up short. He will do well to sustain a strike rate of 214 over a longer period, but his T20 career figure of 152 suggests he is a player who can give the middle order some power.
For the might Aussies, skipper Matthew Wade, who is leading Australia in absence of Aaron Finch, will be pivotal for them. The southpaw hard-hitting batsman would be moving into the middle order with a view to his likely role in the World Cup.
Mitchell Marsh will be looking to pick up where he left off in the T20I series against the West Indies where he made 219 runs in five matches and took five wickets. He has made a strong claim to be considered for the No. 3 role longer term and another successful series in Bangladesh will leave the selectors with plenty to ponder should Steven Smith be available for the World Cup. Therefore, Tigers should be very wary of Marsh’s all-round ability.
