There is a double header of action in the T20 World Cup 2021 on Thursday and it begins with what is an absolutely massive match for Australia when they take on Bangladesh in Super 12 Group 1 in Dubai.
Australia know they have to win the match to keep their semi-final hopes realistic and if they can win by a massive margin then so much the better. Bangladesh end what has been a disappointing tournament for them here.
Australia
Australia go into the match with two wins and a defeat in their three matches to date but unfortunately for them the margin of that defeat to England on Saturday was so big that if the race to the semi-finals becomes a net run rate thing they are going to be found wanting unless they can do some similar damage to a team in their last two outings. I think most would expect this to be the easier game given that Bangladesh have been poor but sometimes teams with nothing to play for relax and cause an upset.
The big problem for Australia is that their two wins were not exactly convincing. The end margin of their win over Sri Lanka was but for probably 15 overs of their bowling innings they were behind the game and they fell over the line in their opening match of the tournament. You sense their batting order isn’t being used the best way it can be and should the time come that their bowlers go round the park when they bowl first they could be very vulnerable.
Bangladesh
I think it was written all over the face of the Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah how disappointing this campaign has been for the Tigers after their defeat to South Africa. To be fair to him they had just suffered a pretty heavy loss where they batted terribly. Their batting hasn’t really fired throughout the tournament and that will really disappoint them. Whether that is a hangover from playing two series close to the competition on pathetically bad pitches only they will know but their order is a lot better than it has delivered both in the first round here and the Super 12s.
To the credit of the Bangladesh bowlers, even though they were chasing a score they were never going to successfully defend, they took some scalps with them and showed the required amount of heart and fight that suggested they haven’t downed tools and given up. They now just need their batters to prove their minds are still on the job as if they put a score up then Bangladesh could build on their 4-1 win over Australia from a few months ago.
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Key Men
Kagiso Rabada ripped the heart out of Bangladesh in the previous match so Mitchell Starc might be able to do likewise but given that he is yet to take a wicket in the powerplay and isn’t firing on all cylinders it might be Josh Hazlewood who is the man to do it for Australia here. He is bowling well and conditions should suit.
Mahmudullah looked thoroughly narked after the last match so it is up to him to drive up the standards to ensure Bangladesh finish their competition on a high. Even if they lose, with a series against Pakistan in under two weeks they need to take something from the tournament.
Betting
This isn’t a match I want to stake too much on if I’m honest, which is a shame because with dew not a factor these early matches are the easiest to get stuck into. Unfortunately, Bangladesh haven’t been as reliable as I would have wanted them to be to trust the traditional match and side markets. You’ve got to think Australia will win this match based on what we’ve seen so far but Bangladesh do have their number recently, albeit a weaker version of Australia than the one they face here.
I will go with one bet though because I can’t let the 40/1 on Mehidy Hasan to top score for Bangladesh go without a sheckle on it. In the series with Australia last month he twice scored 23. He was beaten by one batter each time but he showed this Australian style attack offers no fear for him. He goes into this match after clubbing his highest T20I score against South Africa and with no Shakib, and too many senior batters underperforming Hasan could easily swipe a few away down the order and land the goods. He actually batted at four in one of those matches against Australia and opened in another. He has already come in at three in this tournament against Oman so if he goes up the order the price looks even more ridiculous. Wherever he bats the last week has shown us that the top score should be within reach. He’s worth a small bet.
Tips
Back M.Hasan Top Bangladesh Batter for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Betway
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