Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith hold the rare distinction of being the only overseas pair to have represented both the Indian Premier League franchises from Pune. The duo marked its return to one of their homes away from home in style by helping Australia make a mockery of a target of 307 set by Bangladesh in their last Men’s World Cup league game.
Riding on the duo’s unbroken association of 175 runs — with Marsh’s mammoth hundred being the star act — Australia overhauled Bangladesh’s 306 for eight with more than five overs to spare and eight wickets in hand.
The victory — Australia’s seventh in a row — wasn’t enough for the five-time World champion to finish second in the league stage but will hold it in good stead going into Thursday’s semifinal against South Africa.
Despite Travis Head’s attempted heave off Taskin Ahmed resulting in his woodwork being shattered in the third over, Marsh and the in-form David Warner kept the chase in control. While Marsh was using the long handle on a batting paradise at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium to the delight of the 20,000-odd spectators, Warner rotated the strike in characteristic fashion.
Soon after he crossed his fifty, Warner chipped Mustafizur Rahman to stand-in captain Najmul Hasan Shanto against the run of play. In came Smith and seamlessly continued his long hit in the net on the previous day.
None of the five bowlers employed by Bangladesh appeared to ask any questions to either of the two as Marsh and Smith kept on punishing them. Marsh’s power-hitting rubbed on to Smith as well, as was displayed during his slog-sweep for a six off Nasum Ahmed’s medium-pace. The young pacer had the most difficult day as he conceded a whopping 85 runs in his quota.
Had the Australia fielders not managed run-outs at key moments, Marsh may have been presented with an opportunity to join Glenn Maxwell — rested for the game — to hit a double century.
But the Australia pace pack, sans Mitchell Starc who was replaced with Sean Abbott, continued to find it difficult to strike in the PowerPlay. Adam Zampa’s yet another magnificent spell combined with Australia’s magnificent fielding pulled things back.
As a result, Tauhid Hridoy scored the only fifty for Bangladesh despite all the top-seven batters getting off to a start. At 239 for four after 40 overs, Bangladesh was in with a chance of setting an imposing total. But Zampa’s three overs thereafter pulled it back for as Bangladesh could add only 67 in the last 10.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH INNINGS: Tanzid Hasan c & b Abbott 36 (34b, 6x4), Litton Das c Labuschagne b Zampa 36 (45b, 5x4), Najmul Hossain Shanto run out 45 (57b, 6x4), Towhid Hridoy c Labuschagne b Stoinis 74 (79b, 5x4, 2x6), Mahmudullah run out 32 (28b, 1x4, 3x6), Mushfiqur Rahim c Cummins b Zampa 21 (24b, 1x6), Mehidy Hasan Miraz c Cummins b Abbott 29 (20b, 4x4), Nasum Ahmed run out 7 (11b), Mahedi Hasan (not out) 2 (3b), Taskin Ahmed (not out) 0 (1b); Extras (lb-10, nb-2, w-12): 24
Total (for eight wkts. in 50 overs): 306.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-76 (Tanzid, 11.2 overs), 2-106 (Litton, 16.4), 3-170 (Shanto, 27.5), 4-214 (Mahmudullah, 35.4), 5-251 (Mushfiqur, 42.1), 6-286 (Hridoy, 46.3), 7-303 (Mehidy, 49.1), 8-304 (Nasum, 49.3).
AUSTRALIA BOWLING: Hazlewood 7-1-21-0, Cummins 8-0-56-0, Abbott 10-0-61-2, Marsh 4-0-48-0, Zampa 10-0-32-2, Head 6-0-33-0, Stoinis 5-0-45-1.
AUSTRALIA INNINGS: Travis Head b Taskin 10 (11b, 2x4), David Warner c Najmul b Mustafizur 53 (61b, 6x4), Mitchell Marsh (not out) 177 (132b, 17x4, 9x6), Steve Smith (not out) 63 (64b, 4x4, 1x6); Extras (w-4): 4
Total (for two wkts. in 44.4 overs): 307.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-12 (Head, 2.5), 2-132 (Warner, 22.1).
BANGLADESH BOWLING: Taskin 10-0-61-1, Mahedi 9-0-38-0, Nasum 10-0-85-0, Mehidy 6-0-47-0, Mustafizur 9.4-1-76-1.
Toss: Australia; PoM: Marsh.
Australia won by eight wickets with 32 balls to spare.
