44.3 overs Bangladesh 182 (Tamim 95, Starc 4-29) v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Mitchell Starc wiped out the tail after dismissing Tamim Iqbal © Getty Images
Australia seized the initiative in their key Champions Trophy game, bowling out Bangladesh for just 182 in 44.3 overs. Tamim Iqbal‘s 95 was the only solace for Bangladesh with the opener falling just short of scoring back-to-back hundreds for the second time in two years. But there was virtually no support from the rest of the batting line-up as only Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan reached double figures. It had started to rain, though, towards the end of the Bangladesh innings and when the players walked off for the innings break.
Mitchell Starc finished with four wickets — three of which came in the 43rd over – including that of Tamim whose dinky pull took a top-edge and was easily caught at fine leg. Mashrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain fell off consecutive deliveries but Starc could not hit the stumps when he was on a hat-trick as Mustafizur Rahman somehow survived the full ball that narrowly missed off stump.
Bangladesh’s batting betrayed Mashrafe’s clear-cut decision to bat at the toss. Tamim struck three fours in the first five overs before Soumya Sarkar presented a dangling bat to Josh Hazlewood’s delivery that moved away from the batsman, in the sixth over.
Imrul Kayes found a soft way to get out, chipping a catch off Pat Cummins to point in the 11th over before Mushfiqur Rahim, for the first time in months, looked to be struggling to time the ball. He was trapped lbw in the 17th over to Moises Henriques though replays suggested there was a thin inside edge that even the batsman missed to spot and hence did not review.
Tamim Iqbal was the only batsman to play over 50 balls © Getty Images
As Shakib Al Hasan does so often, he struck an early four to break a boundary duck that lasted 11.3 overs. Glenn Maxwell dropped him on 11 off Starc and Shakib offered a bit of stability in the 69-run fourth-wicket stand with Tamim, who burst into life from time to time. Tamim targeted Henriques in the 23rd over – lofting him for a six over cover and then striking fours through mid-on and fine leg.
After he struck Travis Head for consecutive sixes through long-off in the 30th over, the offspinner had Shakib trapped lbw for 29, in the same over. The decision was reviewed but it showed how accurate Nigel Llong After he struck Travis Head for consecutive sixes through long-off in the 30th over, the offspinner had Shakib trapped leg-before for 29, in the same over. The decision was reviewed, which ended up proving just how accurate Nigel Llong was.
Coming into the XI for John Hastings, Adam Zampa was introduced as late as the 35th over and struck with his second ball. He removed Sabbir Rahman and Mahmudullah in consecutive overs. Mehedi Hasan, included in place of Mosaddek Hossain as a much-needed specialist bowler, gave Tamim a bit of support before the latter got out in Starc’s third spell. Tamim struck six fours and three sixes in his 114-ball effort.
It was a Starc show from there with his triple-wicket maiden before he bowled Mehedi for 14 in the 45th over, his fourth wicket in nine balls for a solitary run to finish with 8.3-2-29-4.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo