Fast bowler Pat Cummins took a hat trick and David Warner smashed an unbeaten half-century as undefeated Australia kicked off their Super Eight campaign at the T20 World Cup with a rain-hit 28-run win over Bangladesh on Thursday.
Recalled with fellow quick Josh Hazlewood after being rested against Scotland, Cummins’s three-wicket burst helped restrict the South Asians to 140 for eight before rain cut short Australia’s chase.
Victory was secured by the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Australia were 100 for two after 11.2 overs before the match was abandoned, with Warner unbeaten on 53 and Glenn Maxwell 14 not out at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Australia’s win put them top of Group 1, ahead of India thanks to a slightly superior net run-rate. Bangladesh are fourth in the group behind Afghanistan, who lost their first Super Eight match to India.
The top two sides at the end of the phase qualify for the semifinals.
Test and one-day skipper Cummins bowled Mahmudullah for two, had Mahedi Hasan caught for a duck by Adam Zampa at deep third man and then dismissed Towhid Hridoy for 40 when the batter scooped to Hazlewood.
Cummins’s third victim came in the over after his first two wickets, and his hat trick celebration was conspicuously understated.
“I had no idea … I totally forgot about it,” Cummins said of his first hat-trick for Australia and the first at the tournament.
“Ashton Agar and Nathan (Ellis) were both on the bench today. They’ve got a hat trick so I joined their club.
“It’s a good club to be a part of.”
He finished with 3-29 from his four overs while spinner Zampa took 2-24 to put the brakes on Bangladesh in the middle overs.
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh had declared himself fit to bowl on the eve of the match after recovering from a hamstring strain but the all-rounder left the spare overs to Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.
His poor form with the bat continued, though, with Marsh dismissed lbw for one by Rishad Hossain, who took both the Australian wickets, bowling Travis Head for 31.
Australia won the toss and elected to field on a slow wicket, enjoying an instant pay-off when left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc took a wicket with the third ball.
Young captain Najmul Hossain Shanto made a steady 41 to help set his team up for a competitive total but Zampa trapped him lbw in the 13th over and Bangladesh were unable to cut loose thereafter.
“Wicket looked good, little slow, but we should’ve scored 170, I felt,” said Shanto.
“Very important today that the top order got some runs. We struggled last couple of matches.”
Bangladesh meet India at the same venue on Saturday, with Australia to face Afghanistan in Kingstown.