Has any other team in this World Cup appeared as composed in their campaign as Australia? Despite a few tense moments against Oman in the opener and some pressure from Scotland, Australia has largely cruised through. Many are already tipping them as favorites, despite Glenn Maxwell’s inconsistent batting performances. Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis have been particularly impressive with the bat, while their bowling attack has adapted best to the Caribbean conditions.
Historically, Bangladesh hasn’t troubled Australia much in World Cups, although they’ve posed challenges in bilateral T20Is, especially at home. This time, Bangladesh has reached the Super 8s decently from a group where Sri Lanka started poorly and Nepal showed promise but fell short.
Today, Australia faces Bangladesh at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. Conditions are expected to be favorable, with reduced humidity and a pitch similar to the true surface seen in St Lucia. Bangladeshi and other South Asian fans are likely to create a lively atmosphere, despite their teams not being involved. Bangladesh will need more than just cricket skills to challenge Australia.
In T20 World Cups, Australia holds a 6-4 advantage over Bangladesh in their head-to-head encounters.
Team updates:
Australia is considering adding an extra spinner for their next Super 8s game but will stick with their trusted pace attack for today’s match.
Bangladesh has relied on their bowling in this tournament but has struggled with batting. The conditions in Antigua might suit their batsmen better, but they’ll need to handle Australia’s formidable bowling lineup.
Key match-ups could include Shakib Al Hasan’s challenges against spin and Glenn Maxwell’s vulnerability to spin, a trend seen from his recent IPL and T20 World Cup performances.
Australia’s probable XI: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
Bangladesh’s probable XI: Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (wk), Najmul Shanto (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Tanzim Shakib, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
