PUNE (Web Desk): Australia cruised past Bangladesh with ease by eight wickets in the 43rd match of the ICC World Cup 2023 in Pune, India, on Saturday to end their group-stage campaign on a high note.
Mitchell Marsh was undisputedly the best player of the match as he smashed the Bangladeshi bowlers on all parts of the ground scoring 177 runs off 132 balls which included 17 fours and nine sixes. He built a match-winning 175-run partnership with middle-order batter Steve Smith who scored 63 runs in the match.
Earlier, Bangladesh batted first and posted 306 runs courtesy of a strong batting display by their middle order. Bangladesh started brilliantly as they had scored 70+ runs in the first 11 overs without losing a wicket but Tanzid Hasan soon became the victim of Sean Abbot for 36 runs. After almost five overs, Hasan was followed by Litton Das who scored the same amount of runs as his opening partner and ended up losing his wicket to Australia’s Adam Zampa, leaving his side 106-2 in 16.4 overs.
Towhid Hridoy top-scored with 74 off 79 balls and he was followed by Najmul Hossain Shanto (45). Mahmudullah (32), Mushfiqur Rahim (21) and Mehidy Hasan (29) also played well. For Australia, Abbott and Zampa bagged two wickets each while Marcus Stoinis managed to pick one.
SCORES IN BRIEF
AUSTRALIA 307-2 (Marsh 177*, Smith 63*, Warner 51) beat BANGLADESH 306-8 (Hridoy 74, Shanto 45, Zampa 2-32, Abbott 2-61) by 8 wickets.
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