&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "BAN vs AUS 1st T20I: Cooper Connolly, spinners star in Australia’s 4-wicket win")
Cooper Connolly carried his last game’s form into the T20I series opener against Bangladesh by smashing a quickfire 47 off 27 balls to steer Australia home by four wickets in the first T20I on Wednesday (Jun 17) in Chattogram. The visitors chased 132 with 10 balls to spare, taking the 1-0 lead in this three-match series. The left-hander anchored the run chase following a shaky start, hitting four fours and three sixes before falling three runs short of his maiden T20I fifty.
After Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur Rahman accounted for the two Aussie openers, leaving Australia reeling at 38 for two inside five overs, Connolly began hitting boundaries for fun. He added 40 runs for the third wicket with Tim David, who departed for 20 off Mehidy Hasan.
Connolly, who enjoyed a breakout maiden IPL stint with Punjab Kings earlier in the year, was caught attempting a six off Bangladesh’s debutant Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.
Australia stumbled again as Matt Renshaw and debutant Nikhil Chaudhary both fell for 18, with Saqlain and Rishad Hossain striking to keep Bangladesh in the contest. But debutant Joel Davies and Xavier Bartlett saw the visitors home in 18.2 overs, finishing unbeaten on seven and four respectively.
Davies said Australia's bowlers had adapted their plans to the venue's dimensions.
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"Here in Bangladesh, the grounds are a fair bit smaller than in Australia, so if there were any parts of the ground that were slightly bigger, I had to use that to my advantage," he said after the match.
Saqlain returned 2-32, while Shoriful, Mustafizur, Mehidy and Rishad took one wicket each.
Oz spinners keep hosts silent
Earlier, Australia's spinners dominated as Bangladesh were bowled out for 131 after electing to bat. Adam Zampa (3-18) and Davies (3-17) led the attack, with Australia's spinners taking nine wickets, the most by Australian spin bowlers in a T20I innings.
Bangladesh lost momentum after a brisk powerplay, finishing with only 131 despite reaching 52 in six overs.
Mehidy top-scored with an unbeaten 29, while stand-in captain Towhid Hridoy, captain in place of the injured Litton Das, made eight.
The two teams will meet again for the second T20I on Friday (Jun 19) in Chattogram.
(With inputs from AFP)
