BAN vs AUS 2021: Bangladesh beat Australia by 10 runs in 3rd T20I to clinch series
Australia needed to win the third T20I to keep their hopes alive in the five-match series. However, the hosts continued their winning run and beat the Aussies by 10 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
The visitors suffered a big blow when their pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was ruled out of the third T20I due to a niggle, with Josh Philippe and Andre Tye also left out of Australia's playing XI. Ben McDermott, Daniel Christian and Nathan Ellis took the trio's place in the Australian team.
Australia got off to the perfect start and dismissed the Bangladesh openers within the first 13 balls of the innings. Josh Hazlewood accounted for Mohammad Naim before Adam Zampa dismissed Soumya Sarkar as the hosts were reduced to 3-2.
Shakib Al Hasan and skipper Mahmudullah added 44 runs for the third wicket before Zampa got rid of the former.
Bangladesh kept losing wickets at regular intervals and could only manage 127 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs. Mahmudullah held one end together and was the side's top-scorer. He scored 52 runs off 53 balls before being dismissed by Nathan Ellis.
Ellis also accounted for Madehi Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman and took a hat-trick on his debut - the first-ever bowler to achieve the feat in his first international appearance in the shortest format.
Bangladesh bowlers restrict the Australian batsmen
Australia had high expectations from their new opening pair of Ben McDermott and Matthew Wade to get them off to a flying start. The Aussie skipper was, however, dismissed in the second over and the visitors were reduced to 8-1.
McDermott and Mitchell Marsh steadied the ship and added 63 runs for the second wicket before the former was dismissed by Shakib. Moises Henriques soon got out for just two runs, with the scoreboard reading 74-3 at that point.
Mitchell Marsh continued his good run with the bat and became the first Australian batsman to score a half-century in the ongoing series. He managed 51 off 47 balls, including six boundaries and a six. The all-rounder was dismissed by Shoriful Islam, and Australia still needed 34 runs off 17 balls to keep their hopes alive in the series.
Australia required 22 runs in the final over and although Alex Carey smashed the first ball for six, the task was a daunting one as the Aussies fell short of the target by 10 runs.
The fourth match will be played today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.