DHAKA: All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan took four wickets as Bangladesh skittled out Australia for their lowest ever Twenty20 International total of 62 to seal the series 4-1 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Chasing 123 for victory, the visitors crashed out in 13.4 overs with Shakib returning figures of 4-9 with his left-arm spin in the 60-run rout in Dhaka.

Australia’s previous lowest was 79 all out against England at Southampton in 2005.

Bangladesh, who had secured their first series win over Australia after winning the opening three matches, bounced back from their previous loss to flatten the opposition batting.

“The boys showed a lot of character and hunger to win a series against a team like Australia,” home skipper Mahmudullah said after the triumph. “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.”

He added: “We always felt that in our backyard we are a very good team. We can’t let anything go past. Though the ranking doesn’t show it, I have always felt we have very good potential to be a very good team in T20 internationals.”

Pace bowler Mohammad Saifuddin combined with Shakib to rattle Australia with twin strikes in one over and send back Alex Carey and Moises Henriques, both for three.

Shakib, who became the second bowler to take 100 T20 wickets, after Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga when he got Ashton Turner out, wiped off the tail with the wickets of Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa as Bangladesh celebrated.

The 34-year-old Shakib, a veteran of 58 Tests, 258 One-day Internationals and 84 T20 Internationals, said he is ‘still enjoying the game’.

Spinner Nasum Ahmed had done the early damage when he bowled Dan Christian for three and then trapped the in-form Mitchell Marsh for four in successive overs.

Skipper Matthew Wade (22) and Ben McDermott fought back with a 21-run stand for the third wicket but Mahmudullah broke the partnership. He got McDermott caught and bowled for 17.

“I’ve played for a few years now, certainly the toughest conditions to play T20 cricket in,” said a disappointed Wade. “Great learning for youngsters.”

Earlier Mohammad Naim made 23 in Bangladesh’s 122 for eight after electing to bat.

Christian, who took an international scalp after seven years, and seamer Nathan Ellis took two wickets each.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH:

Mahedi Hasan c Agar b Turner 13

Mohammad Naim c Agar b Christian 23

Shakib Al Hasan lbw b Zampa 11

Soumya Sarkar c Turner b Christian 16

Mahmudullah c and b Agar 19

Nurul Hasan b Ellis 8

Afif Hossain c Marsh b Ellis 10

Mosaddek Hossain not out 4

Mohammad Saifuddin run out 0

Mustafizur Rahman not out 0

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-1, W-11) 18

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 122

FALL OF WKTS: 1-42, 2-57, 3-60, 4-84, 5-96, 6-110, 7-114, 8-118.

DID NOT BAT: Nasum Ahmed.

BOWLING: Turner 2-0-16-1 (5w); Agar 4-0-28-1 (1w); Zampa 4-0-24-1 (1w); Ellis 4-0-16-2 (3w); Christian

4-0-17-2 (1w); Swepson 2-0-14-0.

AUSTRALIA:

D.T. Christian b Nasum 3

M.S. Wade b Shakib 22

M.R. Marsh lbw b Nasum 4

B.R. McDermott c and b Mahmudullah 17

A.T. Carey b Saifuddin 3

M.C. Henriques c Nurul b Saifuddin 3

A.J. Turner c Mahmudullah b Shakib 1

A.C. Agar b Saifuddin 2

N. Ellis b Shakib 1

M.J. Swepson not out 1

A. Zampa c Mahmudullah b Shakib 4

EXTRAS (LB-1) 1

TOTAL (all out, 13.4 overs) 62

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-17, 3-83, 4-48, 5-53, 6-54, 7-54, 8-56, 9-58.

BOWLING: Mahedi Hasan 3-0-20-0, Nasum Ahmed 2-0-8-2, Mustafizur Rahman 1-0-3-0; Mohammad Saifuddin 3-0-12-3; Shakib Al Hasan 3.4-1-9-4; Mahmudullah 1-0-9-1.

RESULT: Bangladesh won by 60 runs to win five-match series 4-1.

UMPIRES: Sharfuddoula Saikat (Bangladesh) and Tanvir Ahmed (Bangladesh).

TV UMPIRE: Gazi Sohel (Bangladesh).

MATCH REFEREE: Neeyamur Rashid (Bangladesh).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Shakib Al Hasan.

PLAYER-OF-THE-SERIES: Shakib Al Hasan.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2021