Bangladesh bowlers bamboozle Australia to end series on a high

Shakib Al Hasan triggered a spectacular Australia batting collapse as Bangladesh crushed the cricketing superpower to a humiliating 60-run defeat in the final T20 to seal the series 4-1.

Shakib and Mohammad Saifuddin strangled the Aussie middle and lower orders to roll them over for just 62 in their chase of a modest 123 for the win at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

The southpaw returned 4 for 9 in 3.4 overs while Saifuddin bagged 3 for 12 from three overs on a pitch that played similarly to those in the last four games.

Their miserly but devastating spells meant Australia crashed to their lowest ever score across the limited-over formats.

Earlier, having lost the toss, Australia had tied Bangladesh to a subpar 122 for eight with deft slow bowling as none of the Bangladeshi batsmen ever got going.

The Tigers decided to open with Mahedi Hasan (13) in place of Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim (23).

The move paid off as the duo set the Tigers off to their best start in the series, making 42 for the opening stand - the first 33 of which came in the first three overs by the spinners.

Pick of the Australia bowlers, seamers Nathan Ellis (2-16) and Dan Christian (2-17) then pulled things back for the tourists.

In the next passage of play, Australia gave away just 32 runs in eight overs and picked up three crucial wickets to leave the home side on 65 for 3 in 11 overs.

The Aussies picked three frontline spinners to get purchase from the wicket but it was Ellis who reaped the rewards as he, along with Christian, stifled the hosts with their slower deliveries.

Christian angled in from wide of the crease and mixed up his deliveries with slower ones that often cut in as the batsmen mostly struggled to connect while going for wild swings later on.

Bangladesh looked en route to a score of around 140 when Soumya (16) and skipper Mahmudullah (19) offered some resistance midway into the innings.

But Christian and Ellis snuffed out any hopes Bangladesh had of a higher total. Bangladesh managed just 20 runs in the last five overs.

The hosts brought in the wily spin of Nasum Ahmed in the second over and he immediately put the Aussies on the backfoot, castling dangerman Christian (3) , who had clubbed Shakib for five sixes in an over in the last game, and trapping in-form Mitchell Marsh (4) plumb in front.

Saifuddin wreaked havoc on Australia’s middle-order by going through the gates of Alex Carey (3) with a slower, foxing Moises Henriques (3) for a caught behind and, after Shakib pulled off a maiden over, taking out Ashton Agar (2) as the batsman charged down the wicket.

Shakib’s figures hoisted him past the 100 wicket milestone in the format, the second player in the world to do so after Lasith Malinga.

Introduced in the seventh over, the spinner struck with his second ball for the scalp of skipper Mathew Wade (22) with an arm ball.

Aussies were reeling on 54 for six when Shakib sent Ashton Turner packing for his milestone wicket.

He then took out Ellis in the 14th over before Zampa was pouched at cover as Australia were skittled out for their lowest ever T20I total in 13.4 overs - also the quickest they were bundled out in the format.

Adjudged best player of the match and the series, Shakib said:

“I'm still enjoying the game, that's the important thing. Thanks to my team-mates, this achievement wouldn't have been possible without their help. I think we played some really good cricket through two series, in Zimbabwe and here.

“Obviously the wicket was tough, but we held our nerve well. All in all a team effort. If you look at the last match, we scored 104-105 and the game still went to the last over. So we knew if we score 120-130 we'll always be in the game.

“We started well with the bat today, that gave us momentum. I think the bowlers did a fantastic job throughout this series. We're trying to improve all our areas. Our fast bowlers are also doing well, look at Mustafiz, Shoriful, Taskin.

“They make our (spinners') job easy. And we're contributing well in our part too. [on being told he's the first from Bangladesh to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in T20Is] - Has anyone else done it? [Malinga?] I guess he didn't score 1000 runs. [So he keeps track of records?] Sometimes I keep track of records.

Tigers’ captain Mahmudullah said:

“The boys showed a lot of character and hunger to win a series against a team like Australia. We executed our plans really well. Obviously it was hard for the batters, but we did well to keep getting 120-130. All the bowlers worked really well together.

“In Zimbabwe and here, the fast bowlers and spinners have worked really hard. They have kept their nerve in crunch moments, that's what matters in T20s, there will be pressure moments. In that part management supported well so it was a good team effort.

“Before starting the series I had a chat with the bowlers that it will be a responsibility on them and they should win the game. But it was a good team effort. The way the boys fought every game was really pleasing to see.

“We always felt that in our backyard we are a very good team. We can't let anything go past. We'll be challenging whoever comes to play in Bangladesh and we'd like to win every series. Though the ranking doesn't show it, I have always felt we have very good potential to be a very good team in T20Is.”