Matt Renshaw blasted a career-best 89 not out as Australia notched a series-clinching six-run victory over Bangladesh in the second T20 of their three-match series.
Renshaw, who scored 18 in the opening game after averaging 0.67 in the ODI series, returned to form emphatically, clubbing five sixes in his 52-ball knock to guide the Aussies to an imposing 5-196 in Chattogram on Friday, which the Tigers looked on target to reel in, before falling short at 6-189.
“It’s one of those things with T20, we obviously got a good score, (then) they came out pretty well and pretty hard,” Renshaw said.
“The way we played made them be able to do what they did at the start.
“It felt like with our innings, the longer we batted, the harder it got to hit the ball and hit the ball hard.”
With Bangladesh requiring 18 runs off the last three deliveries, captain Towhid Hridoy (35) eyed off a miracle when he thumped Aaron Hardie into the stands, making the equation 12 off two.
Towhid swung equally hard at the next ball, but his leading edge could only trickle to the boundary for four.
The skipper then hoicked Hardie’s last delivery to wide long-on, where Tim David completed the catch, icing Australia’s unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Bangladesh’s pursuit of the big target was on track when they powered 42 off the first three overs and were still 1-72 after the powerplay.
Saif Hassan (42), Parvez Hossain Emon (36) and Tanzid Hasan (30) all went on the attack, but when wickets eventually fell, the asking rate escalated.
Renshaw (1-13) conjured Australia’s first breakthrough when he accepted a return catch from Tanzid.
Captain Mitch Marsh’s superb running catch to dismiss the rampant Parvez and Nathan Ellis’s two runs conceded from the 17th over turned the tide Australia’s way.
Earlier, Renshaw and David (45) combined for a brisk 97-run fourth-wicket stand after the tourists’ innings had been stalling at 3-44 at the powerplay, with Josh Inglis (11), Cooper Connolly (1) and Marsh (20) all in the sheds.
David struck four sixes in his 26-ball knock before holing out while trying to bring up his half-century.
Renshaw, who offered two difficult chances, raised his half-century off 29 deliveries after belting leg spinner Rishad Hossain for three straight sixes.
Left-arm orthodox spinner Nasum Ahmed (2-27) was the only Bangladesh bowler to not go the journey.
The third and final T20 will be played in Chattogram on Sunday.
AAP
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