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Renshaw, Tim David help Australia seal T20I series
Matt Renshaw's unbeaten 89 and Tim David's 26-ball 45 powered Australia to 196 for 5 before their bowlers held their nerve to beat Bangladesh by seven runs in the second T20I in Chattogram. Bangladesh threatened to pull off the chase after racing to 103 for 2 at the halfway mark and remained in the hunt deep into the final over through Towhid Hridoy's late assault, but Australia closed out the game to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Bangladesh made an ideal start after opting to bowl, reducing Australia to 44 for 3 inside the Powerplay. After conceding 12 runs in his first over, Nasum Ahmed struck a crucial blow by trapping Josh Inglis LBW, while Nahid Rana's extra pace accounted for Cooper Connolly with a sharp catch by Saif Hassan at slip. Mitchell Marsh, who had a good start, lost to Mustafizur Rahman for 20 on the final Powerplay ball, putting a lot of work in front of Australia's middle order.
Tim David and Matt Renshaw's partnership in the counterattack gave the innings momentum. David attacked Bangladesh's pace right away, pulling Nahid for a six, and then went after Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, whose second over cost David 19 runs, including two sixes and a four. While David provided the muscle, Renshaw settled into his innings before joining the assault, particularly against the spinners. The pair added quick runs through the middle overs bringing up the half-century stand in quick time as they took Australia past 100 in the 12th over.
Renshaw destroyed Rishad Hossain by hitting three sixes in a row to reach fifty in 29 balls. With David continuing to find the boundary at the other end, the pair set Australia up for a good finish after the early wobble. Saqlain eventually broke the partnership - worth 97 in 50 balls - by dismissing David, while Nasum Ahmed later trapped Nikhil Chaudhary LBW. However, Renshaw maintained complete command, and Joel Davies provided solid support during an unbeaten 42-run stand in the final four overs, which included two sixes off Mustafizur in the final over.
The Bangladesh openers began positively in the chase, adding 48 inside the first four overs. Bangladesh got off to a fast start thanks to Spencer Johnson's 22 and Aaron and Nathan Ellis' boundaries in the second over. Renshaw was brought in in the fourth over, and Tanzid Hasan Tamim caught the bowler and left for a 15-ball 30-run partnership. Saif Hassan hit a six and Soumya Sarkar hit two fours in Johnson's second over, and Bangladesh finished the Powerplay strongly at 72 for 1.
Adam Zampa ended Sarkar's stay by having him caught at long on, but Parvez Hossain Emon came out with a positive intent, striking two successive sixes off the legspinner as Bangladesh moved past 100 in the 10th over. As they put together a fifty-run partnership in 33 balls, Parvez and Saif continued to score boundaries. However, Australia responded quickly, dismissing the set pair in consecutive overs. Aaron Hardie bagged the wicket of Parvez while Davies picked up the wicket of Saif, both caught by Marsh in the cover region, as Bangladesh slipped to 134 for 4 in the 14th over.
Towhid Hridoy attempted to ease the pressure by scoring a few boundaries off Zampa as Bangladesh needed 54 runs in the final five overs. Ellis then bowled an excellent 17th over, having Shamim Hossain caught at deep square leg and conceding only two runs, leaving Bangladesh needing 42 off the last three overs. Despite being hit for a four by Saqlain, Zampa gave away only eight runs in the 18th over. It came down to 23 in the final over after Ellis went for 11 in the 19th, being hit for a four by Saqlain and a six by Hridoy. Bangladesh needed 23 in the last over and 18 off the last three balls when Hridoy hit a six off Hardie. He fell off the final delivery, however, as Australia defeated Bangladesh in a tense finish with 12 required.