Bangladesh Crumble to 73/7 After 15 Overs as Australia Tighten Grip in Dead-Rubber Third T20I
A match with nothing left to decide in the series turned into a grim exercise for Bangladesh, who found themselves reeling at 73 for 7 after 15 overs against Australia in the third T20I — a contest that still carried the weight of national pride for the hosts.
Adam Zampa did the most damage with the ball, exploiting Bangladesh's middle and lower order with sharp spin and clever variation. His googly proved too good for Shoriful Islam on one occasion, the delivery angling away sharply as Islam swung across the line and missed completely. Zampa also accounted for Islam's wicket through a catch, tightening Australia's hold over a Bangladesh lineup already in deep trouble.
Towhid Hridoy offered the most resistance among the remaining batters. He backed away early against Zampa to crack a four straight down the ground — a top-quality stroke that stood out as one of the few clean hits in a difficult passage of play. Otherwise, Hridoy and Islam spent much of their time scrambling singles, working the ball to short third, cover-point, and mid-wicket just to keep the scoreboard moving.
Nathan Ellis applied consistent pressure through hard lengths and pace-off deliveries, with substitute fielder Xavier Bartlett also contributing a fine stop in the covers to deny a boundary. Aaron Hardie returned to the attack and bowled tightly around off stump, giving Bangladesh no room to free their arms. A short-pitched delivery from Hardie struck Shoriful Islam on the thigh pad, underlining how much the lower order was struggling to read and react.
Matt Renshaw, brought in to roll his arm over, continued the pressure with tossed-up deliveries that kept Islam and Hridoy to singles. Nasum Ahmed fell to Nathan Ellis before the innings could find any late momentum, Bangladesh sliding further with each passing over.
With the series already settled, Australia's bowlers still showed little mercy, building pressure through disciplined lines and sharp fielding. Bangladesh, chasing a competitive total, will need something extraordinary from their tail to post anything threatening on the board.
📰 Source: TOI Sports