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Symonds helps
Aussies to seal the series 2-0 |
April 26, 2006 (Click to see the
Scorecard)
 The Australians made sure that Cardiff wasn’t
repeated at Fatullah as they successfully
defended their total of 250. The visitors
bundled out the homeside for just 183 to secure
a 67 runs win. Bangladesh were never in the hunt
as they lost three early wickets and then Javed
Omar and Habibul Bashar batted way too slowly to
keep the required run rate mounting on
Bangladesh. Javed Omar was out slogging a slower
delivery from Michael Hussey and after that
Habibul Bashar took some calculated risks by
chipping down the track to the spinners and
getting a few boundaries. But Bangladesh didn’t
get the much needed big expensive overs and
Habibul Bashar soon fell trying to do the
impossible.
The Bangladesh Skipper did get to his 3rd
consecutive half century but his slow start
meant that Bangladesh’s required run rate was
always on the higher side. He did get one more
partnership with wicket keeper Khaled Mashud
going for a while just to give the crowd some
hope. Once the Bangladesh innings entered the
last phase, wickets kept falling regularly as
most of the batsmen went for the big shots to
play them straight to the fielders in the deep.
Brad Hogg and Michael Clarke picked up 5 wickets
among themselves and for Bangladesh it was their
skipper who top scored with 70 which had come
off 114 balls with the help of 7 hits to the
fence.
In the morning, it was Ricky Ponting who won
the toss and elected to bat first. Adam
Gilchrist got off to a flier scoring boundaries
at will but he fell playing half cock to Mortaza,
the same bowler who was lofted by him for a six
over long on. After Gilchrist was gone, Mortaza
struck twice removing Ponting and Katich.
Ponting was dismissed looking for a pull shot
off a ball which wasn’t short enough to be
pulled and Katich was done in by a wide slower
delivery. After the loss of those three wickets,
Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds worked their
way in the middle and soon got used to the pace
of the surface. The pair took their partnership
to 140 before Clarke was gone trying to clear
the man at covers. Symonds then partnered with
Hussey to score 45 in the last 5 overs with
Hussey falling in the last ball of the
Australian innings. Andrew Symonds who worked
hard to get his timing right remained unbeaten
on a brilliant hundred and he did hit two
towering sixes in a Rajin Saleh’s over.
The Australians have been a tired bunch and
their last encounter for this season would be at
this same venue after a day’s break that is on
the 28th at this same venue. Bangladesh would be
disappointed of not trying that hard to win this
game but slowly and steadily they are looking to
compete at the International Level and so far
they have made the Aussies sweat under the heat.
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