Australia wins 4th T20 to end losing run in Bangladesh
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Legspinner Mitchell Swepson claimed a career-best 3-12 as Australia ended its losing run in Bangladesh with a hard-fought three-wicket victory in the fourth Twenty20 on Saturday.
Swepson, one of the two changes by Australia, used his googly and quicker deliveries to perfection to limit Bangladesh to 104-9.
Bangladesh, which had already clinched the five-match series, created a chance to make it 4-0 by reducing Australia to 65-6 in the 11th over but Ashton Agar and Ashton Turner batted sensibly to help the side overhaul the target with six balls remaining.
Agar was key in the 105-7 winning total, making a run-a-ball-27 with two fours and one six.
After combining for a match-changing 34 runs with Turner, Agar was dismissed by fast bowler Shoriful Islam when the side was six runs from victory.
Australia won with Turner on 9 and Andrew Tye on 4.
Offspinner Mahedi Hasan broke through in the first over, dismissing captain Matthew Wade for 2.
But Dan Christian appeared set to win the match on his own when he struck Shakib Al Hasan for five sixes in his one over.
The arrival of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman shifted the momentum when he removed Christian after his 39 off 15 balls.
“We've worked hard over the last few games and not had the result go our way. It’s hard work out there,” Australia captain Matthew Wade said.
"The way Dan played, that’s the difference between moving and losing sometimes. We needed big runs up top, and that changed the match.”
Australia, for the fourth consecutive match, failed to deal with Mustafizur’s cutter and slower deliveries.
Mustafizur baffled Alex Carey (1) with a slower cutter, then Mahedi (2-17) and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed (1-17) made further inroads.
Mustafizur finished with more remarkable figures of 4-1-9-2.
“We didn't assess the wicket well enough batting first,” Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah said. ”Having said that, the bowlers did a good job to take it to the 19th over. Today's wicket was the hardest among all. Dan Christian changed the whole scenario."
Bangladesh also had no answer to Swepson's disciplined bowling. Opener Mohammad Naim top-scored with 28 before falling to Swepson's quicker delivery.
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood (2-24) continued his good form, giving the side early success by dismissing Soumya Sarkar on 8 and Shakib on 15.
Swepson then dismissed Mahmudullah and Nurul Hasan — both for ducks — in consecutive deliveries.
Bangladesh managed to get past 100 thanks to Afif Hossain's 20 and Mahedi Hasan's 23.
The fifth and final T20 is on Monday.
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