Australia 133 for 6 (Connolly 47, David 20, Saqlain 2-32) beat Bangladesh 131 (Mahedi 29*, Davies 3-17, Zampa 3-18) by four wickets
Australia's spinners combined to take nine wickets to power their side to a four-wicket win in the first T20I in Chattogram. It is the first time that Australia's spinners took nine wickets in a T20I innings, as legspinner Adam Zampa's three wickets took him to 150 scalps in the format, while debutant Joel Davies, the left-arm spinner, also took three wickets on debut to get his career started in style.
It is also the first time that spinners took nine wickets together in a T20I innings in Bangladesh. Player of the match Zampa became the first from Australia to reach the landmark of 150 wickets in T20Is, while he is also the fifth legspinner after Rashid Khan, Ish Sodhi, Adil Rashid, Wanindu Hasaranga.
Australia later made light work of Bangladesh's 132-run target. Cooper Connolly top scored with 47 off 27 balls, his highest T20I score, while Tim David brought out some big hits as they won with ten balls to spare. It was however the visitors' bowling, particularly their spinners who dominated Bangladesh.
Openers fall amidst fiery powerplay
Saif Hassan tonked Spencer Johnson with a whip over square-leg in the first over, before Xavier Bartlett went for two fours when he opened the bowling from the other end. Johnson though had the last laugh when Tanzid hit one straight to Bartlett at extra cover.
Saif struck his third boundary off Matt Renshaw, but he fell trying another slog later in the over, with Mitchell Marsh taking a simple catch at mid-off. Stand-in captain Towhid Hridoy and Soumya Sarkar, returning to the T20I side after 18 months, struck one boundary each, as Bangladesh made 52 for two, their highest score in the first powerplay against Australia.
Spinners take charge
Zampa got into the act in the seventh over, when he cleaned up Hridoy's stumps, as the batter played all over a googly. Soumya fell in Zampa's next over when he spliced to deep cover where debutant Nikhil Chaudhary took a tumbling catch.
Davies' second ball in international cricket fetched him a wicket when Parvez Hossain Emon top edged his slog sweep, comfortably taken in the boundary by Connolly. Renshaw returned to get Shamim Hossain caught behind for one, before Davies had fellow debutant Abdul Gaffar Saqlain with a catch at long-off.
Chaudhary, who took Saqlain's catch too, then had Rishad Hossain caught in the same place for three. Zampa and Davies cleaned up Bangladesh's tail amidst some belated hitting from Mahedi Hasan, who made an unbeaten 29. Mahedi was left frustrated, particularly the way Shoriful Islam and Rishad got out flaying at the ball.
Connolly continues good form
Shoriful continued his wicket-taking spree from his 6 for 48 in the third ODI, when he bowled Josh Inglis who gifted him the wicket. Inglis missed with a scoop in the third over, falling for five runs. Connolly though went after Shoriful for the rest of the over, hitting him for three fours in a row.
Mustafizur Rahman gave Bangladesh a breather when he had Australia captain Mitchell Marsh caught at short third-man in the fifth over. Marsh made 13 off 14 balls.
David marked his arrival at the crease with a 98-metre six over midwicket off Mahedi Hasan, before Connolly cleared the in-field for several boundaries off Saqlain and Rishad Hossain.
Late wickets doesn't bother Australia
Saqlain finally removed Connolly in the tenth over when Shoriful took the catch at long-on as the left-hander tried to clear another boundary. Connolly struck seven boundaries including three sixes. David donned a floppy hat and slammed a straight six off Mahedi, before falling next ball. Tanzid took an easy catch down the ground as David tried to repeat the dose, falling for 20 off 16 balls.
Rishad picked up his first wicket when he had Chaudhary caught behind attempting a lap-sweep when he was on 18. Chaudhary struck two fours in his 13-ball stay. With just three runs remaining in the chase, Saqlain had Matt Renshaw caught at midwicket where Saif took a smart catch, as the left-hander fell for 18. Bartlett struck the next ball for four, to complete the easy win.
