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Khawaja, Zampa tame the Tigers

Australia claim three-wicket win against Bangladesh thanks to two career-best efforts

The match in a tweet: Survival! Khawaja, Zampa keep Australia's #WT20 campaign alive with an impressive three-wicket win over a valiant Bangladesh

The scorecard: Bangladesh 5-156 lost to Australia 7-157 by three wickets with nine balls remaining

The hero: While much of the attention has been focused on Aaron Finch's exclusion, Usman Khawaja has made the most of his inclusion in Australia's T20 outfit at the top of the order. No batsman in Australia's squad is in better form than the languid left-hander, and on Monday night, a sterling 58 not only justified his selection but cemented his position. Like he did in Dharamshala against the Black Caps, Khawaja got off to a flyer, starting with two to the leg-side before sending Mashrafe Mortaza back over his head for his sole maximum. Effortless stroke play featured throughout his innings, pulling, driving, charging, flicking and finding the rope at regular intervals. The 29-year-old combined with Shane Watson for 62 for the opening wicket, teamed up with his captain to put on another 33, and added a further 20 with David Warner before he was bowled behind his legs by Al-Amin Hossain to end his 45-ball stay.

The consolation effort: Bangladesh were limping to an underwhelming 130 before Mahmudullah stepped up and lifted his side to a competitive total with a late flurry. Finishing unbeaten and one short of a well-deserved half-century, Mahmudallah hit seven fours a furious six – the half-dozen coming from a clean strike off returning allrounder John Hastings. At one stage, between overs 19 and 20, the right-hander crashed four boundaries in five balls, denying the Australians a routine run chase.

WATCH: Zampa's three keeps Australia on top

The monkey off the back: It took 56 balls across four matches, but Adam Zampa finally captured his first T20 wicket for Australia. The wicket-taking delivery was no Gatting Ball, nor a venomous flipper or a deceptive googly – it was a good old-fashioned long hop, a second-ball loosener that was crunched by Mohammad Mithun to Shane Watson at deep midwicket. Zampa should have got off the mark two games back, when Glenn Maxwell dropped a sitter on the rope in Cape Town to spare Rilee Rossouw the honour of becoming the 23-year-old's maiden T20 international scalp. He didn't wait long to get his second, trapping Shuvagata Hom lbw with a straighter one that skidded on seven balls later. Zampa then added a third, producing a thick edge from Shakib Al Hasan's cut shot that found its way to the safe hands of Nathan Coulter-Nile at short third man.

The shot: In a traditional sense, the lofted cover drive for six is the hardest shot to play in cricket. Sure, strokes like the switch-hit, reverse sweep and the myriad types of laps and ramps in the modern game could make a case as the most difficult, but for more than 100 years, hitting over the off-side between point and mid-off was the hallmark of pure power and timing. Not only did Mithun launch one over cover for six of the best, he did it off the back foot with a vertical bat, raising the degree of difficulty from 9.6 to 9.9 and executing to perfection.

The shot 2: Maxwell casually clipped a ball that pitched a foot outside leg-stump over backward square leg for six. Head-shaking stuff.

The shot 3: He then played an orthodox lofted straight drive over wide long-on with perfect technique for six more. His 15-ball cameo ended on 26 when he sprinted at Shakib and failed to connect with a wild swipe.

The drop: Last ball of the Powerplay. Australia 0-50. Watson 13. Khawaja 36. Rahman the bowler. Left arm fast. Over the wicket. Pitches on leg. Full. Watson works to on-side. Leading edge. Skied. Way, way up. Watson drops his head. Saunters through. Ball still going up. Three fielders converge. Nobody wants it. Ball starts descending. Batsmen sense confusion. Watson speeds up. Khawaja turns back. Both batsmen at the non-striker's end. Ball plummeting. Watson spins 180. Mithun calls late. Dives. Spills it. Watson scurrying. Mortaza fires a throw at striker's end. Watson lunges. Ball misses. Australia 0-51. End of Powerplay.

The dismissals: While the run chase was never really in doubt after Khawaja's fast start, Australia lost wickets along with the way and kept Bangladesh in with a sniff. Watson was run out coming back for a tight second; Smith bowled by a yorker between his legs; Warner spooned one back to Shakib; Maxwell was stumped hoicking; Marsh popped a slower ball to a sprawling point and Hastings holed out in the deep. While the pressure was off, it won't be like that in their remaining two must-win matches against Pakistan and India.

The stat: Zampa's haul of 3-23 from four overs is the fourth-best bowling figures by a spinner in T20I cricket for Australia. Glenn Maxwell (3-13) and skipper Steve Smith (3-20) are ahead of the blond leggie, as is his Melbourne Stars captain David Hussey, who sits tied second with Smith.

The wash-up: This match was massive for both teams; the winner kept in touch with the top two spots in Group 2, while the loser was sent to the bottom of the table with little hope of advancing. For Australia, it was the first of five victories needed to win the World T20. Smith's charges travel to Mohali tomorrow (Tuesday) for their remaining two group matches – Pakistan on Friday followed by India on Sunday. It's been a trying tournament for Bangladesh, who had the joy of progressing to the Super 10 phase quickly replaced by sadness and frustration due to losses to Pakistan and Australia and the untimely suspension of two key bowlers. While the Tigers can still mathematically make the semis, their tournament future now relies on every team winning two matches and losing two, and some thumpings mixed in there to boot.