Australia Win First T20 Against Bangladesh
Collected Photo
Australia defeated Bangladesh by 4 wickets in the opening match of the three-match T20 series in Chattogram. Batting first after losing the toss, Bangladesh were bowled out for 131 runs. In reply, Mitchell Marsh’s side reached the target in 18.2 overs, losing 6 wickets. Towhid Hridoy suffered a losing start in his captaincy debut.
Bangladesh opted to bat first after winning the toss at the Bir Shreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram. With Liton Das absent from the XI, Parvez Hossain Emon took over wicketkeeping duties. Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed were left out, while Abdul Gaffar Saqlain made his debut. Soumya Sarkar returned to the T20 side for the first time since December 2024.
Australia brought back key players, including Mitchell Marsh and Tim David. Left-arm spinner Joel Davis also made his debut. India-born, later Australia-based leg-spinner Nikhil Chaudhary was also included in the playing XI.
Bangladesh batters failed to settle at the crease, once again exposing their limitations in the shortest format. The match highlighted the need for greater consistency and skill development in T20 cricket. While players like Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Mosaddek Hossain have provided balance in ODIs through experience, Bangladesh’s T20 batting unit still lacks maturity. No batter managed to build a substantial innings. Tanzid Tamim edged a straightforward catch to Xavier Bartlett, while Soumya Sarkar failed to capitalize on his return, departing after 17 balls off Nikhil Chaudhary. Towhid Hridoy hit a six off his first scoring shot but managed only 8 runs. Parvez Emon scored 10, Shamin Patwari made 1, and Mehidy Hasan top-scored with 29.
Joel Davis took 3 wickets for 17 runs, while Adam Zampa also claimed 3 wickets for 18 runs. Lance Morris added 2 wickets.
Chasing 133, Australia were guided by Cooper Connolly’s 47 off 27 balls, along with contributions from Tim David (20), Matt Renshaw (18), and Nikhil Chaudhary (18), as they reached 133 for 6 in 18.2 overs to win the match. Debutant Saqlain took 2 wickets for Bangladesh. Adam Zampa was named Player of the Match.
