Australia have won the 3rd T20 by 7 wickets and 54 balls to spare in the innings from Bangladesh. Australia finished the T20I series in emphatic fashion defeating Bangladesh convincingly in the final match to secure a 3-0 clean sweep.
After losing the ODI series earlier in the tour the visitors responded brilliantly in the shortest format. They dominated every match and completed the series without allowing Bangladesh any opportunity to fight back.
After winning the toss Bangladesh chose to bat first. However the decision failed to produce the desired result.
The home side’s top order collapsed under pressure and never managed to build momentum. Early wickets left Bangladesh in trouble forcing the middle order to focus on survival rather than acceleration.
Captain Towhid Hridoy stood firm amid the collapse. He played a responsible innings and remained unbeaten on 61. His knock helped Bangladesh cross the 100-run mark and avoid an even lower total.
Unfortunately for the hosts very little support arrived from the other end. Regular wickets and a slow scoring rate prevented Bangladesh from posting a competitive score.
Australia’s bowlers controlled the contest from the very beginning.
The visitors struck three times inside the opening five overs and immediately placed Bangladesh on the back foot. That early pressure never eased throughout the innings.
Adam Zampa once again proved his value in the middle overs. The leg-spinner tightened the screws and picked up crucial wickets to stop any hopes of a recovery.
Meanwhile Spencer Johnson delivered an outstanding spell. He finished strongly at the death collected two wickets and produced one of the most economical full-quota bowling performances by an Australian in T20I cricket.
The rest of the Australia attack also played their part ensuring Bangladesh never gained any rhythm in 3rd and last T20 of the series. Chasing a modest target Australia approached the innings with aggressive intent.
Mitchell Marsh wasted no time and attacked from the opening over. He found support from Josh Inglis as the pair raced to a quick 54-run partnership.
The aggressive start effectively removed any pressure from the chase. Marsh continued his assault and smashed a rapid 60 before eventually losing his wicket. By then the result was already beyond doubt.
Tim David then arrived and finished the job in style launching a couple of powerful sixes to seal victory. Australia reached the target in just 11 overs underlining their complete dominance.
The 3rd T20 match perfectly summed up Australia T20I campaign against Bangladesh. They were sharper with the ball more aggressive with the bat and superior in every department.
The series victory provides a major confidence boost after their earlier disappointment in the ODI contests. More importantly it showcased the depth and balance within the Australian squad.
For Bangladesh the series raises several concerns. The batting lineup struggled throughout, while the bowling attack failed to apply consistent pressure against a powerful Australian batting unit.
As the teams move forward, Australia will take plenty of positives from a commanding sweep, while Bangladesh must regroup and address the issues that were exposed during a difficult series on home soil.