T20 WC 2024, all-round Australia thrash Bangladesh: Decoding the stats
Australia thrashed Bangladesh by 28 runs (DLS method) in their first Super 8 encounter of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. It was a one-sided affair as the Aussies were 100/2 in 11.2 overs while chasing 141 at Antigua's Sir Vivian Richards Stadium when rain stopped play for the final time. While Pat Cummins's hat-trick headlined the game, David Warner scored an unbeaten fifty.
Bangladesh post a below-par total
Mitchell Starc dismissed opener Tanzid Hasan for a duck to hand Australia a brilliant start. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (40) held one end but constantly ran out of partners. Towhid Hridoy (40) upped the ante in the death overs as the Tigers posted a somewhat respectable total (140/8). Besides Cummins, leg-spinner Adam Zampa (2/24) bowled a brilliant spell.
Australia comfortably crossed the line
Australia had no hassle whatsoever as Travis Head and Warner were destructive at the top. The two openers added 65 runs before Head departed for 31. Warner continued to ball well and scored an unbeaten 53 off 35 balls (5 fours, 3 sixes). While skipper Mitchell Marsh (1) missed out, Glenn Maxwell scored 14* off six balls.
Hat-trick for Cummins
Cummins made his first strike in the penultimate delivery of the 18th over. He dismissed Mahmudullah, who chopped a slower delivery onto the stumps. The pacer sent back Mahedi Hasan in the very next delivery as the all-rounder ramped the short ball to Zampa at third man. Cummins then dismissed the dangerous Towhid Hridoy in the first ball of the 20th over.
Cummins joins Lee
As mentioned, Cummins became the second Aussie to register a T20 WC hat-trick. He joined Brett Lee, who also accomplished the feat against Bangladesh in the 2007 edition. It was also the first-ever T20 WC hat-trick. Curtis Campher, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kagiso Rabada, Karthik Meiyappan, and Joshua Little are the others to register a hat-trick in the mega tournament.
Fourth Aussie with this feat
Besides Lee and Cummins, Ashton Agar and Nathan Ellis are the other Australians to scalp a T20I hat-trick. Meanwhile, Cummins, who recorded 3/29 in four overs, has now raced to 63 scalps across 55 T20Is at an economy of 7.36. He has also completed 20 T20 WC wickets across as many games (ER: 7.65). Six of his scalps have come in the ongoing edition.
Crucial 40s from Shanto, Hridoy
Shanto made a 36-ball 41 (5 fours, 1 six). He has raced to 863 T20I runs at 23.32. The southpaw crossed the 15-run mark for the first time in the ongoing tourney. Hridoy scored 40 off 28 balls (2 fours, 2 sixes). The 23-year-old has completed 589 T20I runs at 29.45. He has raced to 135 runs at 27 in the 2024 T20 WC.
Most consecutive wins in T20 WCs
With this triumph, Australia became the first team to win eight successive T20 WC games. Besides registering five consecutive triumphs in the ongoing tourney, the team won their last three games in the 2022 edition. Meanwhile, Australia have also matched their longest winning streak in T20Is (8). They also won these many games between November 2021 and February 2022.
Fine spell from Zampa
Zampa, who claimed 2/24 in his four overs, has now raced to 11 wickets in the ongoing edition at an economy of 5.90. The leggie has completed 103 T20I wickets while conceding runs at 7.19 (34 T20 WC wickets at an economy of 6.05). Notably, he has 15 wickets across just seven T20Is against the Tigers (ER: 5.92).
Australia top Super 8 Group 1
With this win, Australia go atop the Super 8 Group 1 points table with an NRR of +2.471. Bangladesh are hence last in the standings as their NRR reads -2.471. Notably, only two teams from this group will advance to the semi-finals.
