Dubai, Nov 4: Leg-spinner Adam Zampa returned a career-best five-wicket haul in the shortest format as Australia crushed Bangladesh by eight wickets to take second spot in Group 1 and keep their semifinals hopes alive in the T20 World Cup here on Thursday.
Bangladesh innings fell like house of cards as neither the batters could contend with the Australian pacers nor they negotiated the spinners well and were all out for just 74 in 15 overs after being asked to take first strike.
Zampa maintained splendid line and length throughout to trouble the batters, who found it difficult to read him. Fast bowlers Mitchell Starc (2/21) and Josh Hazlewood (2/8) shared four wickets between them while Glenn Maxwell (1/6) dismissed one batter.
Out of the semifinal race, Bangladesh have not win a single game, losing all five matches in the Super 12 stage.
Australia knocked off the required runs in just 6.2 overs to replace South Africa in second spot. They now have six points, same as that of Proteas but the massive win boosted their Net-Run-Rate (1.031), which is now better than the Temba Bavuma-led side (0.742).
Skipper Aaron Finch (40) and David Warner (18) added 58 runs in five overs for an explosive start. Mitchell Marsh (16 not out) and Glenn Maxwell (0) took the side past the finish line.
Starc provided the first wicket as Liton Das (0) dragged one back on to the stumps while Josh Hazlewood got rid of Soumya Sarkar (5), who also played on to the stumps. Maxwell trapped Mushfiqur Rahim (1) while Zampa had Afif Hossain (0) caught in the slip region.
Hazlewood got his second victim in opener Mohammad Naim (17), who was caught by Pat Cummins at square leg.
Bangladesh were struggling at 33 for five and needed skipper Mamudullah and Shamim Hossain to repair the innings. Zampa had Shamim caught behind when he tried to play a cut shot and trapped Mahedi hasan in the next ball to be on a hat-trick.
When he returned to bowl, wicket-keeper Matthew Wade dropped a catch to deny his colleague the hat-trick milestone. The skipper too departed soon with Starc spelling his ouster by having him caught behind, leaving Bangladesh at 65 for eight.
Bangladesh were now in danger of not even completing their 20-over quota and Zampa did not let them by scalping the remaining two batters. (PTI)
