Australia slump to lowest ever total, lose series 4-1

Australia have been routed for 62, their lowest-ever T20 International total, to end a nightmare tour of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh claimed a 4-1 series victory with a 60-run win in the final match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium after the Aussies were bowled out chasing the hosts' 8-122 in just 13.4 overs, the shortest international innings in any format in their 144-year history.

In keeping with the previous four games, Australia's bowling effort was largely sound as a four-pronged spin attack and canny tactics from seamers Nathan Ellis and Dan Christian ensured the hosts limped to what has roughly been a par score in the lowest-scoring T20I series ever (minimum three games).

But the five-match campaign, played on challenging Dhaka surfaces conducive to at-times unplayable spin, has seen Australia lose while chasing 128, 132 and now 123 – the three lowest totals they have ever failed to reel in.

Australia lost 8-24 in 38 balls in a barely fathomable display, with only stand-in captain Matthew Wade (22 off 22) and Ben McDermott (17 off 16) reaching double digits.

Image Id: 8070C09710EB41849155C45A60B94F25 Image Caption: Bangladesh celebrate another wicket in Dhaka // Getty

Shakib Al Hasan (4-9 off 3.4 overs) and Mohammad Saifuddin (3-12 off three) ran through Australia's lower order, engineering an alarming procession of wickets.

Ashton Turner's dismissal saw Shakib become just the second man to take 100 T20I wickets, as the left-arm spinner snared three of the last four to fall with the Aussies offering a succession of catches to fielders in front of the wicket.

Shakib is now just six scalps away from overtaking Lasith Malinga (107 wickets) as the most prolific T20I wicket-taker of all-time.

While a host of big names are set to return for the T20 World Cup later this year, a ninth defeat in 11 T20s and five consecutive series losses represents far from ideal preparation for an Australian squad chasing the only piece of major silverware they have not won.

The tourists picked three specialist spinners, with spin accounting for 12 of the 20 overs bowled to match their T20I record, but it was seam bowlers Ellis and Christian who proved Bangladesh's biggest challenge.

Both mixed up their pace cleverly and took a leaf out of the book of the series' leading bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, in relying heavily on cutters, with Ellis snaring 2-16 from his four overs and Christian 2-17.

Led by those two along with Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar (who went for one and three off their final overs respectively), the Aussies conceded just 20 runs from the final five overs of the innings.

Ellis took a hat-trick on international debut earlier in the series but Monday's effort was a more complete performance and will give selectors pause for thought when they consider back-up death-bowling options for the T20 World Cup later this year.

It was a familiar script for Australia's batters as they struggled to counter excessive turn as well as the slow and low-bouncing nature of the wicket.

Image Id: E859FE36856648E48C32AA6744F8815B Image Caption: Bangladesh celebrate their first ever series win over Australia // Getty

Wade and McDermott flexed their muscles by clearing the rope three times between them but both were out to spin shortly after they had put their team back into a promising position.

Having won the toss and batted, Bangladesh took an early liking to Australia's slow bowlers, hitting 37 off the four Powerplay overs bowled by spin.

Ellis bowled the other two and went for just five, mixing his back-of-the-hand slower balls with off-cutters that gripped in the surface.

The hosts cleared the rope with comparative ease given the dearth of runs in this series, but a steady flow of wickets meant promising hands from Mohammad Naim (23 off 23) and Mahmuduallah (29 off 14) did not blossom into anything greater.

Afif Hossain only made 10 but a charging cover drive for six off his first ball was something to behold, the recently-turned 21-year-old providing more cause for excitement for a Bangladesh side still savouring an historic series triumph over the Australians.

Qantas Tour of Bangladesh 2021

Australia squad: Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade (c), Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Tanveer Sangha.

Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah (c), Soumya Sarkar, Naim Sheikh, Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Shaif Uddin, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam, Musaddek Hossain Saikat, Rubel Hossain

(all matches at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka)

First T20: Bangladesh won by 23 runs

Second T20: Bangladesh won by five wickets

Third T20: Bangladesh won by 10 runs

Fourth T20: Australia won by three wickets

Fifth T20: Bangladesh won by 60 runs