Australia clinch 2nd T20I thriller vs Bangladesh by 7 runs:Take 2-0 lead in series; Renshaw stars with fifty, receives Player of the Match

Australia edged Bangladesh by 7 runs in the second T20I match played in Chattogram. With this, the team has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. This is also Australia’s first T20 series win on Bangladeshi soil. In 2021, they had faced a 4-1 defeat. Matt Renshaw was the hero of Australia’s victory as he played an unbeaten innings of 89 runs. Renshaw shared a 97-run partnership off 50 balls with Tim David (45 runs, 26 balls) for the fourth wicket. After losing three wickets in the initial six overs, this partnership took Australia to a score of 196/5. In response, Bangladesh’s score was 130/2 in the 13th over. Persistent dot balls and wickets in the final overs changed the course of the match. Aaron Hardie took the most wickets for Australia, with 2 wickets. Tanzid gave quick start to Bangladesh While chasing a target of 198 runs, Tanzid Hasan gave Bangladesh a quick start. He hit shots off Aaron Hardie and Spencer Johnson from the very first over. Johnson conceded 22 runs in his second over, which proved to be the most expensive over of his T20 career. Tanzid was caught off Matt Renshaw’s own bowling in the fourth over. After this, Soumya Sarkar also mounted runs at a quick pace, and Bangladesh’s score reached 72/1 after the powerplay. However, Adam Zampa dismissed him in the seventh over, bringing relief to Australia. Saif-Emon raised hopes, but could not take Bangladesh home After Soumya’s dismissal, Parvez Hossain Emon and Saif Hassan took charge of the innings. Emon hit various big hits against Zampa, Joel Davies, and Hardie, while Saif also batted freely. Both added 53 runs for the third wicket and put the team in a strong position. However, this partnership could not last long. Hardie dismissed Emon (36 runs, 22 balls), while Saif (42 runs) also soon fell victim to Joel Davies. After this, Shamim Hossain was also dismissed by Nathan Ellis. In the final overs, Zampa, Ellis, and Hardie bowled tightly and did not give Bangladesh a chance to hit boundaries. As a result, the host team could only reach 189/6 in 20 overs. Saif Hassan stood out on the field for stunning catching effort While batting first, Australia also did not get off to a good start. Josh Inglis hit a four and a six off Nasum Ahmed in the first over, but was out to the same bowler in the very next over. After this, Nahid Rana dismissed Cooper Connolly, where Saif Hassan took an excellent diving catch in the slips. Mustafizur Rahman also dismissed Mitchell Marsh (20 runs). This time too, Saif took an excellent catch running backwards. After the powerplay, Australia’s score was 44/3, and Bangladesh had a strong grip on the match. Renshaw and David turned the match in Australia’s favour Coming to bat in a difficult situation, Matt Renshaw and Tim David found their rhythm in just seven balls. David hit continuous big shots against Nahid Rana and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain. In the tenth over, he scored 19 runs against Saqlain. On the other hand, Renshaw targeted leg-spinner Rishad Hossain. In the 13th over, he hit three consecutive sixes to complete his half-century in just 29 balls. He also got a life at a score of 55 when Nahid couldn’t hold his catch. David also hit a six to take Australia close to 200, but Saqlain sent him back to the pavilion by catching him at deep point. Despite this, Renshaw stayed at the crease till the end. In the final over, he and Joel Davies hit sixes against Mustafizur to take the team to 197/5, which eventually proved sufficient for victory.