BANGLADESH VS. AUSTRALIA: AUS’S TOUR OF BAN 2021, 5th T20 | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Hosts Bangladesh take on Australia in the fifth and final T20 of the 5-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Monday evening.
Bangladesh sit in a comfortable position, having already secured a series win in the first three matches. On another difficult pitch for batting, the hosts lost in a tight contest by 3 wickets. The top order struggled, with the highest score of the innings being just 28, as Bangladesh made only 104 runs.
Despite Shakib’s off-day with the ball, Bangladesh bowlers continued their good performance, with Mustafizur and the spin duo of Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed proving to be difficult to score off. Although Bangladesh went unchanged throughout the entire series so far, they may give some opportunities to other players here.
Australia made hard work of chasing a small total as they finally got themselves on the board in the series. They lost regular wickets on what was a very tough pitch to bat on. The outburst of sixes by Dan Christian at the start of the innings proved to be the big difference in a game of small margins. In the bowling department, Andrew Tye and Mitchell Swepson’s addition to the playing XI was fruitful and might be continued in this match.
Bangladesh made a real fight of a low total and will be confident with Australia’s batting still looking very much alien to the conditions. Expect a close encounter once again in this final T20 of the series in Mirpur on Monday.
Match Details
- Match: Bangladesh vs. Australia, 5th T20
- Venue: Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
- Date & Time: Aug. 9, 2021, at 5:30 PM IST/6 PM Local
Probable Playing XI
Bangladesh
Mohammad Naim, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah (C), Shamim Patwari, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (W), Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam
Australia
Matthew Wade (C & WK), Ben McDermott, Mitchell Marsh, Moses Henriques, Alex Carey, Ashton Turner, Daniel Christian, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Mitchell Swepson
Weather and Pitch Report
The weather is expected to be mostly cloudy in Mirpur during the match, with fewer chances of rain interruptions. The temperature will be around 29 degrees during the game.
As seen in the series, the pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium has been a challenging wicket. Run scoring will not be easy for the batters on either side. The spinners are expected to play a big role as the slowness of the surface comes into play. The average first-innings score in the series has been 121 runs.
Given the surface and the recent record at this venue, expect the captain winning the toss to opt to bat first. A first-innings score of around 140 runs can be a competitive one on this surface.
Top Fantasy Picks
Bangladesh
- Mahmudullah has had a strange series with the bat so far, with two ducks and 72 runs in the four innings played. He is a key player in the middle order of Bangladesh and a good player of spin. Moreover, he is the highest run scorer at this venue, making 549 runs in 27 matches.
- Shakib Al Hasan had a poor last game, scoring a painful 15 runs from 26 balls and going for 50 runs with the ball. He is Bangladesh’s most experienced player and is a match-winner on his day. He would be keen to end the series on a high here.
- Mustafizur Rahman has been close to unplayable in the series, taking 7 wickets in the four matches played, and will look to continue to trouble the visitors in the next game. He has gone for just 9 runs in his four overs in the last two games.
Australia
- Mitchell Marsh has been Australia’s best performer in the series so far, scoring 152 runs in four matches. He had an outstanding T20 series against the West Indies, making imapct with both bat and ball. He is expected to carry on his form and play another good knock here.
- Dan Christian's 35-run innings proved to be the major difference in the last T20. He hit Shakib Al Hasan for 5 sixes in the 4th over, which turned the game in Australia’s favor despite the loss of wickets. He is expected to come up the order once again to take maximum advantage.
- Mitchell Swepson bowled a superb spell of 3-12 in the last game, restricting the hosts’ batters to a low total. This was his second 3-wicket haul in T20Is. The pitch conditions are tailor-made for slower bowlers and he will likely be a big threat in the final game too.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: N Hasan
- Batsmen: Mahmudullah, M Henriques, A Turner
- All-rounders: S Al Hasan, M Hasan, M Marsh, D Christian
- Bowlers: M Rahman, A Tye, M Swepson
- Captain: M Hasan/M Rahman
- Vice Captain: M Swepson/A Tye
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make your fantasy 11 and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!
