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Australia came out on trumps by 27 runs in their final group match against Bangladesh and thus secured theirs and Pakistan's safe passage to the Super 8s stage of the ICC World T20. The match was a roller coaster ride for the neutrals in the initial part when the famed Aussie batting line up floundered against a disciplined and crafty Bangladesh bowling attack.

After being reduced to 65/6 in the 13th over, Michael Hussey (47) turned out yet another rescue attack and along with Steven Smith (27) took the Aussies to a competitive 141/7 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply the Bangladeshi batsmen could never really settle down against a lively pace attack on a helpful pitch. Some patent rash shots from their frontline batsmen saw Bangladesh never really in the match as they lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bundled out for 114 with an over and two balls to spare.

Australia started the match as clear favourites to progress through to the Super Eights. It would have needed an unlikely catastrophic performance from the Kangaroos to gift Bangladesh a spot in the next round. The pitch too favoured the pace battery of the Aussies - Ryan Harris, Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes - and against Bangladesh's batting; the speedsters were expected to dictate the terms in their favour.

David Warner started in characteristic fashion as he swatted Shafiul Islam for a six and a four in only the second over to signal his intent. Shane Watson (4) on the other hand was having trouble in gauging the pace of the wicket and fell early when his attempted pull off the bowling of Mashrafe Mortaza hit the splice of the bat and Aftab Ahmed made no mistake in taking the catch.

Warner's attacking intents forced Bangladeshi captain Shakib Al Hasan to bowl himself in as early as the 4th over. The move worked like a dream for Shakib as he got Warner (16) with a clever piece of spin bowling. The diminutive Aussie powerhouse tried to take the attack to Shakib but was beaten in flight and chipped one straight to Aftab Ahmed positioned in the deep.

With the Aussies tottering at 21/2, captain Michael Clarke was joined by Brad Haddin in the middle. Haddin was given a clear mandate to go after the Bangladeshi bowling attack with the field restrictions still in place. The Aussie keeper though struggled against the accurate bowling. The pressure told on Haddin (6) and his ugly looking heave over mid wicket went horribly wrong in the 7th over. Abdur Razzak deceived the wicketkeeper batsman in flight and the top edge was easily pocketed at short third man by Shafiul Islam.

Clarke and David Hussey tried to steady the faltering ship with some cheeky singles as Australia struggled to get going against a disciplined bowling attack. With the spinners getting some purchase from the wicket, Shakib threw the ball to part time spinner Mohammad Ashraful. The move paid rich dividends as Ashraful accounted for Clarke (16) when the Aussie captain tried to target the short straight boundaries and holed out to long off. Ashraful then almost accounted for David Hussey on the very next ball but Jahurul Islam dropped the offering.

Fortunately for the Bangladeshis, David Hussey (9) was in no mood to capitalise on his good fortune and got out in the very next over. Mashrafe Mortaza's bouncer climbed onto Hussey, whose attempted pull was too late and wicketkeeper Mushfiq Rahim did the rest. The wicket left the Aussies tottering at 57/5 in the 10th over and staring at a rather embarrassing loss to the ‘Asian minnows'. Bangladesh's joy turned to pure ecstasy when Cameron White (8) got out in the 13th over. Captain Shakib Al Hasan's flight and turn bamboozled the Aussie big hitter as he got castled leaving his team in dire straits at 65/6.

Steven Smith - the leg spinner - joined Michael Hussey in the middle and what followed was cricket at its intelligent best. The duo scampered around for singles and twos and with the innings nearing its end, opened their shoulders to great effect. The 17th over bowled by Mashrafe Mortaza marked the turnaround in Aussie fortunes as 17 runs were scored. A couple of lusty blows from Smith too contributed to the Aussie cause as the senior Hussey and he stitched together an invaluable 74 run partnership in only 7 overs.

The Kangaroos finally finished at 141/7 - a far cry after they had found themselves at 65/6 in the 13th over. The batting side had Michael Hussey (47 from 29 balls) ala Mr Cricket to thank for a patent rescue mission that brought the Aussies back into the contest. Bangladesh meanwhile were left to ruminate on letting the momentum slip away after having the Aussies on the mat.

Bangladesh's start was the stuff nightmares are made off. The pace and bounce the Aussie bowlers extracted from the responsive wicket was quite unsettling for the Bangladeshi batsmen brought up on sluggish subcontinent wickets. Imrul Kayes (0), Mohammad Ashraful (0), Aftab Ahmed (1) and Mahmudullah (2) all departed in the blink of an eye as Bangladesh found themselves tottering at 15/4 in the 4th over.

The pitch may have offered encouragement to the Aussie bowlers but it was the Bangladeshi batsmen who were to blame. Their age old issues with temperament came to the fore once again on the international stage as their top order looked to hit the impressive Aussie speedsters out of the park. Their misguided and mistimed endeavours bore little fruit as batsman after batsman mistimed the bouncing balls and fielders kept plucking sitters for catches.

Captain Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiq Rahim steadied the ship for Bangladesh as they pinched singles and twos along with the occasional boundary. Just when the chasing side seemed to have got back into the game, Shakib (28) departed. Michael Hussey carried on his good form with the bat into the field as he plucked a ripper of a catch at square leg to break the partnership that was assuming dangerous proportions. At 63/5 in the 11th over, the match was all but over for the ‘Super Eight spot' chasing Bangladeshis.

Wickets followed Shakib's dismissal with regularity as the Aussies (unlike the Bangladeshi side) stuck to their guns and didn't release the pressure one bit. Mushfiq Rahim (24) didn't script a fairy tale ending for the boys from the sub continent and walked to the pavilion in the 14th over. His wicket extinguished the last flame of Bangladesh's hopes as the Aussies came out trumps after a difficult start to the match. The innings finally folded at 114 and signalled the end of Bangladesh's short sojourn in the 2010 ICC World Cup T20.

It was a painful exit for Bangladesh especially when they had the Aussies on the back foot and seemingly out of the contest. Michael Hussey though displayed his worth to the side as he guided the Australians to a competitive score. The shift in momentum towards the end of the innings was then capitalised by the Aussie quicks who wasted little time in ending the match as a contest.

With the win, Australia and Pakistan are now through to the Super 8 stage. Barring an improbable upset in the South Africa - Afghanistan encounter all the big guns of international cricket would have made it through. The World Cup is now well and truly on!

Mini Scorecard:
Australia: 141/7 (20 overs)
M Hussey 47 (29)       Shakib 2-24
S Smith 27 (18)         Mortaza 2-28

Bangladesh: 114 all out (18.4 overs)
Shakib 28 (28)           Nannes 4-18
Mushfiq 24 (25)         D Hussey 2-18

Also Read: Pakistan vs. England Match Preview

File Photograph Copyright: Barry Zee

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