Australia have raced to the edge of the required score in the powerplay, making 2/67 from the first six overs.
It may fix the net run rate if they can get the last 9 runs in the next two overs.
Australia fixes all its T20 World Cup problems in 36-minute Bangladesh batting massacre
Australia needed a win over Bangladesh to keep its T20 World Cup hopes alive but an unexpected massacre has flipped the tournament on its head.
Australia have fixed their World Cup problems after monstering Bangladesh in an extraordinary thrashing.
Australia bowled Bangladesh out for just 73 before romping to the score in just 6.2 overs when Mitchell Marsh smashed a six for the second biggest win in World Cup history.
Australia secured the win after Aaron Finch smashed 40 off 20 balls before he was dismissed and Marsh brought the result home scoring 16 off just 5 balls.
The game starts at 9pm AEDT. Catch Australia take on Bangladesh at the ICC T20 World Cup on Thursday night (9pm AEDT) on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today.
And the result has fixed all Australia's problems in the 36-minutes it took Australia to chase down the runs.
The 82 balls remaining was easily Australia's biggest ever win, beating the previous best of 58 balls remaining against Sri Lanka at the 2007 World Cup in South Africa. It was also Bangladesh's biggest ever loss by balls remaining.
Coming into the game, it was a grim looking ladder as Australia were a full net run rate point behind South Africa.
It was shaping as Australia needing an absolute thrashing win in remaining fixtures against Bangladesh or the West Indies and require England to beat South Africa because of the dire net run rate predicament.
Australia entered the game with a net run-rate of -0.627 while South Africa were sitting pretty at a NRR of +0.742. If both teams finished the Super 12 stage on the same points and the net run rates in a similar position, the Proteas would go through.
However, the absolute humiliation of Bangladesh has lifted Australia's run rate to +1.031 and back into second in the group, breathing new life in the campaign as Australia's fate is now in its own hands.
Australia needed reach 74 in 8.1 overs to go ahead of the net run rate and did it with ease.
If both sides lost or drew their respective final games, Australia would go through to the semi-finals after the dominant display.
Well done to the Aussie boys in the #ICCT20WorldCup2021 hammering B’desh ! Loved the attitude of the boys. No fear & all went into beast mode. More of that & the boys will have a huge say in this WC. I know B’desh are way out of form but the attitude was there tonight !
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) November 4, 2021
The result was set up by Bangladesh's putrid batting display.
The side dropped to 3/10 inside the first three overs and never really recovered as Adam Zampa destroyed Bangladesh for figures of 5/19, the second best ever figures by an Australian in a T20 International.
ESPNcricinfo's Andrew McGlashan said of the result: "Australia's net run-rate now 1.031. Above South Africa's. That's a huge swing. Perfect day for them."
Speaking on Fox Cricket, Mark Waugh didn't hold back.
“That is woeful. That is an embarrassing display," he said. "Australia bowled well but that was poor. This is meant to be a T20 World Cup. You wouldn’t find that in third grade in a park.”
Brendan Julian said: "That was harsh."
Waugh replied: "Sorry third graders."
Aaron Finch then crushed four sixes to make short work of the innings as Marsh plundered the remaining runs.
Although it was a stunning performance from Australia, Bangladesh had endured a horrid World Cup campaign, becoming the whipping boys in the Super 12 tournament.
ESPN's Sreshth Shah tweeted: "Is shameful the word? Disappointing? Embarrassing? Bangladesh have let too many people down with their cricket in this tournament. Being home-track bullies is simply not good enough."
Indian cricket legend VVS Laxman wrote: "Bangladesh's poor World Cup ends with another heavy loss in the Super 12s. They are a much better team than this, time to return to the drawing board and regroup. Zampa was Australia's hero, five wickets in a T20 game is just wow!"
Bangladesh have produced some great performances in the Cricket World Cup and beaten the likes of England, India, South Africa, Pakistan, West Indies. But in T20 World Cups, they have been very poor. Just one win against a Test playing nation in 7 T20 WCs. It's a damning stat!
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) November 4, 2021
Australia play the West Indies on Saturday at 9pm AEDT, while South Africa and England play on Sunday morning at 1am AEDT.
Updates
Australia dominate powerplay
Wade drops hattrick ball
Adam Zampa has missed out on a T20 World Cup hattrick as Matt Wade put down a tough chance.
Throwing it up wide to Taskin Ahmed, Zampa drew a big edge but Wade couldn't snaffle the chance.
In commentary Michael Atherton said "I think there was a nick, surely there was a nick. Wade has put it down and that was a hattrick opportunity gone begging."
Zampa was well aware of the situation as well.
"That was my hattrick ball," he yelled back at Wade.
Wade replied: "Yeah, I tried to catch it."
It didn't stop Zampa from wiping up the Bangladesh tail, taking career best figures of 5/19 and smiled as he celebrated on the sidelines.
Bangladesh were ultimately bowled out for 73 – the lowest score ever scored against Australia in a T20 International, beating Pakistan 2012 performance and India's result in 2008.
Bangladesh eight down
Mitchell Starc has struck again, leaving Bangladesh eight down.
An edge down the leg side saw Bangladesh's last batter Mohammad Mahmudullah out for 16 off 18 balls.
Starc finished his four overs with 2/21.
Zampa breaks partnership
Bangladesh are in even bigger trouble as Australia finally broken what was a promising partnership.
Aussie spinner Adam Zampa got his second wicket as Shamim Hossain got a tiny edge through to Matt Wade behind the stumps.
The 29-run partnership at least pushed the Tigers to 62 after being 5/33.
But after losing Mahedi Hasan for a first ball duck – meaning Zampa is on a hattrick starting his next over – after he was only just LBW thanks to an umpire's call on the DRS review.
Zampa strikes straight away
His first ball, Adam Zampa has struck.
Afif Hossain nicked to Aaron Finch and it's 5/33 off 6.1 overs.
Australia get their fourth
Mohammad Naim is out for 17 off 15 balls after a decent little cameo to get the Tigers out of the doldrums.
But after being spanked for a lovely off-drive for four, Josh Hazlewood got the wicket after a short ball got onto Naim a bit too fast and he hit it straight to Pat Cummins at square leg for an easy catch.
It's 4/32 off 5.3 overs.
Picture says it all
They say a picture says a thousand words – what does this picture say?
Soumya Sarkar followed Liton Das for just 5 as Josh Hazlewood took his wicket with the final ball of the second over.
And then Glenn Maxwell struck in the third over, catching Mushfiqur Rahim LBW.
Bangladesh are 3/10 in the third over.
For Australia needing a big win, this start couldn't be any better.
Bangladesh hoping to get to the airport sooner #AUSvBAN
— Roushan Alam (@roushanalam) November 4, 2021
Haven't seen such a weak #Bangladesh side ever in ICC events. #T20WorldCup is a nightmare for bangla Tigers. #AusVBan
— Zubair Ali Khan (@ZubairAlikhanUN) November 4, 2021
'Nowhere' Starc's perfect answer for Warne
Mitchell Starc was slammed by Shane Warne for being "nowhere" but he's answered back in the best way he knows how.
Keeping it nice and full, Starc attacked the Bangladesh stumps in his first over.
After an inside edge was squeezed away on the second ball of the innings, opener Liton Das was no match as Starc had perfect inswinging yorker.
Das got an inside edge onto the stumps and Starc got the Aussies off to the perfect start in the much win match.
That was a “Shane Warne mural-worthy” Yorker from Starc.#AUSvBAN
— Richard Hinds (@rdhinds) November 4, 2021
Is there a greater site in fast bowling than a Mitchell Starc in swinging thunderbolt straight on to the stumps?! Delicious 🤤 #AUSvBAN
— Jono Dean (@JonoDean33) November 4, 2021
Great start Aussies hitting the stumps after inside edges in power play 👍
— Damien Fleming (@bowlologist) November 4, 2021
Starc with swing 💨
Hazlewood with bounce 🎯
Australia to bowl first against Bangladesh
Australia are following the trend of chasing victories in the T20 World Cup.
Having won the toss, Aaron Finch had no hesitation but to send the Tigers in.
Australia have made one change, swapping Ashton Agar out for Mitchell Marsh.
Where he bats will be intriguing after Australia was slammed for leaving Marsh out of the team against England.
Bangladesh XI: Liton Das (wk), Mohammad Naim, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah (c), Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman #T20WorldCup
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 4, 2021
'Nowhere' man cops Warne kicking
Shane Warne has taken aim at Mitchell Starc and Australia's pacemen ahead of the must-win clash against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh won into the World Cup Super 12 behind Scotland in the group stages but have yet to claim a win since, losing four straight.
While Australia are still in with a sniff of making the semi-finals of the competition, the side needs win against Bangladesh and the West Indies – the two teams who beat Australia 4-1 in recent series.
But Aussie legend Shane Warne has taken aim at star quick Mitchell Starc – who leads the Aussie quicks with four wickets this tournament but at easily the most expensive economy rate of 8.72.
Warne has been a vocal critic of Starc in recent times and took aim at him as well when talking about the Ashes prospects, saying that Starc was "nowhere".
Warne said that Australia at least need to take the new ball of the left armer.
“(South Africa's) Nortje and Rabada showed how (Pat) Cummins and (Josh) Hazlewood should be bowling too,” Warne said. “Cummins and Hazlewood are just as good as Rabada and Nortje, they should be steaming in and hitting that deck really hard and being nasty.
“I think they’ve got to take the new ball. Mitchell Starc can’t take the new ball anymore for Australia. He’s floating them up there and not balling quick enough.”
Warne had taken to social media earlier in the week with his strongest team
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