World Cup 2023: Australia thump Bangladesh in Pune after Mitchell Marsh, Adam Zampa star

Australia, on Saturday, November 11, defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets in their last and final league match of World Cup 2023 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in Pune.

The win should keep them in good stead ahead of their semi-final against Temba Bavuma’s South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Bangladesh lost their last league match, but qualified for the Champions Trophy to be held in 2025. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, failed to finish in the top eight and missed out on qualification. The Aussies needed to chase down 307 in 23 overs for Sri Lanka to qualify for CT 2025, but that did not happen as Australia took 44.4 overs to win the match.

After being put in to bat first, Bangladesh racked up their first 300 plus total in World Cup 2023. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Litton laid the platform with a partnership of 76 runs for the opening wicket. But both batters got out after scoring 36 runs apiece.

Najmul Hossain Shanto, who captained the Tigers in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, looked good for his 45 before getting run out. Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, who both played effectively in their last ODI World Cup match, scored 21 and 32 respectively.

Mahmudullah looked in ominous form, hitting three sixes and a four before getting run out by Marnus Labuschagne. But it was Towhid Hridoy who stole the show for Bangladesh. Hridoy, who has struggled throughout the mega event, notched his maiden fifty in the World Cup.

Hridoy scored 74 runs off 79 balls with five fours and two sixes. Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 29 off 20 and helped the Tigers post 306 for eight on the board.

Adam Zampa was the pick of the Australian bowlers after he finished with figures of 10-0-32-2. Sean Abbott picked up two wickets, but leaked 61 runs. Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins went wicketless.

Australia did not make the best of starts to their run-chase after Travis Head got out cheaply. Taskin Ahmed picked up the crucial wicket and gave the Tigers a crucial breakthrough. But from there on, it was one-way traffic towards the Aussies.

Mitchell Marsh and David Warner put on 120 runs for the second wicket off 19.2 overs. Warner scored 53 runs before Mustafizur Rahman removed him. Warner tried to play down the ground, but holed out to Shanto.

Marsh looked fluent and got to his fifty off 37 balls. Although he slowed down a wee bit in his 90s, the right-hander racked up his second World Cup hundred off 87 balls.

After Warner got out, Steve Smith and Marsh made sure that Australia did not suffer any more hiccups. The duo put on an unbeaten partnership of 175 runs for the third wicket as the Aussies chased down the target with 36 balls to spare.

Marsh was in a zone of his own as he stayed not out on 177 runs off 132 balls with 17 fours and nine sixes. Smith, on the other hand, scored an unbeaten 63 off 64 balls with four fours and a six. After losing to India and South Africa initially, Pat Cummins and Co. have now won seven matches in a row.