Australia survive middle-order collapse to beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets

BENGALURU: Australia survived a middle-order collapse to beat Bangladesh by three wickets in a World Twenty20 Super 10 match here on Monday to get their campaign up and running.

Bangladesh were helped to a modest 156 for five by Mahmudullah´s unbeaten 49 before opener Usman Khawaja struck 58 off 45 balls as Australia won with nine deliveries to spare.

Australia restricted Bangladesh to a modest total despite a late flurry by their opponents earlier in the evening.

Australia skipper Steven Smith won the toss at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and his team made an encouraging start with Shane Watson picking off opener Soumya Sarkar in the second over to leave their opponents at 2-1.

Both teams were looking to bounce back after losing their opening Group 2 games.

Australia, chasing an elusive first World Twenty20 title, were edged out by New Zealand in their first Group 2 match in Dharamsala while Bangladesh were trounced by Pakistan last Wednesday.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa was the pick of the Australian bowlers, taking three wickets in his allotted four overs, including Sarkar´s partner Mohammad Mithun (22), who was promoted up the order in place of the ill Tamim Iqbal.

Zampa struck again to remove Shuvagata Hom (13) and got the key wicket of Shakib Al Hasan (33), who had notched up a patient 33 of 25 balls and was just starting to open up.

Bangladesh found boundaries hard to come by until Mamadullah got to the crease to notch a quickfire 49 and add a bit of gloss to the scoreboard.

Aided by Mushfiqur Rahim´s 15 off 11 deliveries, Mamadullah struck seven boundaries to add 50 runs in 26 balls for the sixth wicket and take his team to a competitive total.

Bangladesh, missing suspended paceman Taskin Ahmed and left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, brought Saqlain Sajib and Hom into the starting XI with Mustafizur Rahman replacing Iqbal.