That’s it from us today, thanks for tuning in and ta to Jonathan for the early knockings. England are in action against Pakistan over in Eden Gardens – follow Rob Smyth on the tools as he takes you through their final acts of the 2023 competition:
I’ll be back for India’s tune up against the Dutch tomorrow but really from now it is all eyes on those semi final matches. It’s been a long old road but we’re getting there and it promises to be a belter of a final week. Right, that’s me away – goodbye!
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And here’s a chipper looking Pat Cummins:
It was a great win leading to the semis and good to chase a total like that. We were not at our sharpest in the first innings, It was a really good wicket. We brought it back towards the end to a total that we could chase.
“All 15 players have played this tournament now and I feel we can pick any one of them (For Thursdays semi-final v South Africa)
(The skipper is then asked about Mitchell Marsh’s innings)
Outstanding. I thought it was impressive the way he finished off the innings. The tempo that he played at was sustainable and he is a scary prospect to have for the next week. We’ve won Seven games in a row, even when we were not at our best in some of those games, we came away with a win. Chasing 300-plus was something we did not do earlier so it feels like everything is clicking together.”
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto speaks:
I think for me the two run outs were crucial, the way we started was good but after the two run outs, we lost momentum. If we score 340-350, it could have been different. We did not bowl well in the middle overs. The fast bowlers bowled well but we need to improve in the middle overs.
“We did not play our best at the World Cup as a team, in both bowing and batting. Want to look at what we can do better moving forward. Mahmudullah batted really well… Shakib bowled really well in a couple of matches. It is not about individual performances. We will look back at all nine matches and see where we have to improve as a team.”
Mitch Marsh is player of the Match (well, durr):
It feels great! Obviously it is nice to chase this total down and now it is on to the semis.
(He’s asked about moving down to number three with Travis Head’s return)
“I sort of knew that when Head came back in I would go down to three. It’s important to play with the same intent and back myself. There were a few games where I lost my intent so it is good to get it back. You will fail sometimes but it’s important to get it right more times.
“I am sure my Nana and Mum and everyone will be watching at home, and hopefully they will have a smile on their faces. My grandfather was a great man and we celebrated his life. Nice to be able to perform and to get the win. (Marsh’s grandfather passes away a few days ago, he travelled back to Australia last week to visit him)
(On the semi-finals)
“Can’t wait, mate! It is going to be a ripper. The four best teams are playing in the semis and I cannot wait to get to Kolkata.”
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What a knock from Mitchell Marsh! 😳
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 11, 2023
His blistering unbeaten 177* helps Australia cruise to an eight-wicket win against Bangladesh in Pune 🔥
That's now seven wins in a row for Australia ahead of their semi-final clash against South Africa on Thursday 🇳🇿#AUSvBAN #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/4PEKP3SB2h
Australia win by 8 wickets!
Marsh finishes it off in style with a lofted drive down the ground for four. A thumping victory and innings from Australia and Marsh! Mitch finishes with 177* and Steve Smith on 63* – the two men sharing a partnership of 175 Runs off 135 balls. Australia chalk up seven wins on the bounce to send them into the semi finals brimming with confidence.
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44th over: Australia 299-2 (Marsh 175, Smith 58) Mahedi comes back into the attack for Bangladesh, he’s been their best bowler today – going for just 38 off his nine overs. He stops the flow of boundaries but not the runs in general as six are taken off his over with ease. Eight more needed, Smith and Marsh have batted so well that this has become a bit of a cakewalk. A Vic sponge stroll? A Maderia Meander? Sorry. Flagging a bit to be honest. Nearly there – just eight needed for Australia.
43rd over: Australia 293-2 (Marsh 173, Smith 54) Marsh deposits Taskin over midwicket for his ninth six of the innings!
42nd over: Australia 284-2 (Marsh 166, Smith 52) Marsh leans back and flays Mustafizur over point for four. Next ball is up… up and SIX! Marsh toed that but it still lands over the rope. This ground ain’t big enough for the Mitchell Marsh. Just 23 needed now for Australia.
41st over: Australia 270-2 (Marsh 154, Smith 50) Steve Smith goes to his 32nd ODI half century, he’s looked in increasingly good touch, very good news for Australia as they head into the bizniss end of the tournament.
“No sir : Smith has NOT “smited seven sixes”. He has “smitten seven sixes”. Once he’s out, you may write that he “smote seven sixes”
“A severe warning” writes Alistair Connor, “Next time I’ll be obliged to write you a ticket”
Whoops. But then Al signs his email ‘Alistari’ so I’m just not sure what to believe…
Its a bit of fun.
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40th over: Australia 264-2 (Marsh 152, Smith 46) Smith drives back past Mustafizur and the ball clatters into the stumps at the non-strikers end. Marsh starts to walk off thinking that Mustafizur got a bit of boot on it with him stranded but Smith calls him back. They send it upstairs and it is NOT OUT – the ball just bounced over the bowler’s boot. A glance to leg brings Marsh on strike and he clatters back to back fours into the leg side to bring up his 150 off just 117 balls! Merciless.
39th over: Australia 254-2 (Marsh 143, Smith 45) Marsh slaps Taskin through the covers on the front foot for another four – his fourteenth. He’s also smited seven sixes. Taskin responds with a couple of toe ticklin’ yorkers, Marsh clips to leg and hobbles down the other end. 53 needed from 66 balls. I know where my money is.
38th over: Australia 249-2 (Marsh 138, Smith 45) Nasum to bowl his final over, he drifts into the slot to Marsh and is clubbed for SIX! The bat twisted in Marsh’s hands and he got nowhere near timing it but it sailed over the fence. The brute power of the man is scary.
37th over: Australia 240-2 (Marsh 130, Smith 44) Taskin is punched to mid on by Smith and the single brings up the 100 partnership for this pair. Three more singles and a wide are followed by a deliciously timed drive by Smith back past the bowler for four. Smith has played himself into excellent touch in this innings – South Africa beware.
36th over: Australia 231-2 (Marsh 128, Smith 38) Nasum returns for his penultimate over… Marsh sweeps his first ball fine for four. The big man is suffering from cramp I think – get some silverskins crushed up – Mitch needs some pickle juice! Boff! Marsh has decided if it is up then it is off as he launches over extra for another powerfully struck four. A slooowly run single brings Smith on strike and he doesn’t miss out on a short and wide delivery, hanging back in his crease and steering away for four to make it fourteen runs off the over. 76 needed for ‘straya.
35th over: Australia 217-2 (Marsh 119, Smith 33) The Fizz is into his seventh over and he stitches together a lesser spotted maiden. Smith is pegged back and hemmed in, top bowling from Mustafizur.
34th over: Australia 217-2 (Marsh 119, Smith 33) Mahedi replaces Mehidy after Mehidy replaced Mahedi earlier. It’s the little things. The bowler gets through his action in a flash and is darting the ball with no flight at the stumps and pads, it doesn’t stop Marsh and Smith from working six singles off the over. 90 runs needed from 96 balls.
33rd over: Australia 211-2 (Marsh 116, Smith 30) Marsh gets some electrolytes on board, I keep hearing the phrase ‘pickle juice’? Sounds delish. Whatever he was slurping it’s keeping him in fine fettle as first ball back after the short break Marsh slots Mustafizur for a ginormous six! It was in his arc and he walloped it miles. Australia doing this in some style now.
32nd over: Australia 202-2 (Marsh 108, Smith 29) The double ton comes up for Australia as Marsh dances down the wicket and clears the ropes for another maximum. Pedal being introduced to metal now. Time for a drink.
31st over: Australia 192-2 (Marsh 100, Smith 27) Eventually (arf) Mitchell Marsh goes to his second century of this World Cup! It took him just 87 balls and he’s been dominant from ball one. A punched back foot single gets him there, he looks stoked/dead chuffed/delete as appropriate. Good on him, one of the game’s most likeable characters.
The single brings Smith on strike and The Smudger decides to come to the party! A farmhand hack into the leg side brings four and then is followed up with a massive slog sweep for SIX! Attaboy.
30th over: Australia 179-2 (Marsh 99, Smith 15) Drama! Marsh comes onto strike after a Steve Smith paddle for a single… he needs one run to get to three figures. Dot. Dot… another DOT. The crowd get into it, cheering and jeering after every ball. DOT! Marsh can’t break the infield and is forced to wait for his magic moment. Well bowled Mahedi Hasan.
Over to you, Martine:
29th over: Australia 178-2 (Marsh 99, Smith 14) Nasum continues and it’s just four runs off the over, Australia require six an over from here so that set of six is a tiny victory for Bangladesh, what they dearly need are wickets. Marsh onto 99!
28th over: Australia 174-2 (Marsh 98, Smith 12) Marsh moves to within two runs of a deserved century. Once he gets there I reckon he’ll go on turbo drive to haul down this target. Is that just projection/wishful thinking? You bet it is.
27th over: Australia 168-2 (Marsh 96, Smith 8) Four singles pocketed off Nasum. That’s all I’ve got for you.
26th over: Australia 164-2 (Marsh 94, Smith 6) Six! Marsh breezily lofts Mehidy back over his head for a sizeable maximum into the stands. Eeesht. The big man is in beast mode now, a short ball from Mehidy is swatted for a once bounce four to finish the over. Mitch enters the nineties in some style.
25th over: Australia 151-2 (Marsh 83, Smith 4) Marsh smites Mustafizur through cover for four to move into the eighties. It’s been a fab knock so far. Half way through the innings, Australia need 156 more runs and have eight wickets in the hutch.
24th over: Australia 145-2 (Marsh 78, Smith 3) Ricky Ponting tells the story of Shane Warne predicting Herschelle’s butter fingers in a team meeting before that match in ‘99. This won’t be the last time in the next few days that you’ll see this clip and hear Tony Grieg’s accompanying description of it as a “little lollipop”
Back in Pune, Mitch Marsh glances Taskin fine to pick up four more.
WICKET! Warner c Najmul Hossain Shanto b Mustafizur (Australia 132-2)
Mustafizur returns and snares Warner! A soft dismissal for Warner, he chipped a full ball to Shanto at mid on. A bit of last gasp drama as Shanto does a Herschelle Gibbs impression and spills the ball as he goes to throw it in the air in celebration but he clung onto if for just long enough before he then lost control of it.
Steve Smith is the new batter and he’s off the mark with a clip to leg and Marsh continues on his merry way despite the loss of Warner, driving a full ball through cover for four.
23rd over: Australia 139-2 (Marsh 79, Smith 2)
22nd over: Australia 132-1 (Warner 53, Marsh 68) Taskin bustles in and escapes the over with just a couple from it. His blushes aren’t in tact mind as a roooobish review is called for with the DRS showing the ball hit Warner a country mile outside the line.
21st over: Australia 130-1 (Warner 52, Marsh 67) Nasum bowls a tidy over but sends down one ball a smidge too full that is powerfully swept for four by Mitch Marsh.
If the Spirit/Laws of Cricket are your bag then have a swizz at this:
When the helmet broke, it appears that Mathews did not consult with the umpires, which a player would be expected to do when seeking new equipment. Rather, he just signalled to the dressing room for a replacement. Had he explained to the umpires what had happened and asked for time to get it sorted out, they might have allowed him to change the helmet, perhaps calling Time and thus removing any possibility of being Timed out.”
MCC Statement on Timed Out wicket in 2023 Men's ICC @cricketworldcup earlier this week ⤵️#MCCLaws
— Marylebone Cricket Club (@MCCOfficial) November 11, 2023
20th over: Australia 125-1 (Warner 52, Marsh 62) Taskin returns to the attack as Bangladesh yearn for a wicket. It’s a decent over, just three singles off it. No dice in the scoreboard column that really matters though.
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19th over: Australia 122-1 (Warner 51, Marsh 60) David Warner goes to fifty off the first over back after drinks, a crunching cut behind point off Nasum is followed by a deft reverse-sweep for four. Marsh has been the aggressor but Warner now has 50 off 52 balls so has given his strike rate a shot in the arm. Australia looking confident in this chase and, dare I say it, much more so than South Africa against Afghanistan yesterday.
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18th over: Australia 110-1 (Warner 42, Marsh 57) Time for a drink on the back of a decent over from Mehidy, just three singles off it. Time for toast and vegemite marmite in south London.
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17th over: Australia 107-1 (Warner 40, Marsh 56) Mustafizur continues, Marsh drives through cover and they scamper back for two runs. A couple of singles chip away at the total, 200 runs needed exactly. Bangladesh keeping a tighter lid on things but increasingly in need of a wicket or three.
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16th over: Australia 103-1 (Warner 39, Marsh 53) Mehidy whirls away and a quiter over sees just three runs off it. Warner is continuing at his more subdued strike rate.
One man who will be crucial in the semi final for Australia is Adam Zampa. Check out the company he’s keeping:
Muthiah Muralidaran's ODI World Cup record is under threat 🎩 #AUSvBAN | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/VCekf08IKR
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 11, 2023
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15th over: Australia 100-1 (Warner 30, Marsh 50) The ton comes up for Australia and Mitchell Marsh has got half of them, he’s been proactive from the start and brutal on anything too short or full. The early loss of Travis Head saw him arrive at the crease early and has allowed him to make use of the powerplay fielding restrictions. Mustafizur drops short and is hoicked away through square for four. Meat and Castlemaine XXXX areas for Marsh.
14th over: Australia 90-1 (Warner 30, Marsh 49) Mehidy goes too full to Warner and is duly drilled through extra cover for four. Thoughts on the semi-final line ups and the tournament as a whole? Decent Kedgeree recipe? Email or tweet @Jimbo_Cricket (that’s me)
13th over: Australia 84-1 (Warner 25, Marsh 48) Australia march on and pilfer eight runs off the over. Mustafizur ‘The Fizz’ Rahman is into the attack, he makes the mistake of gifting some width to Mitch Marsh and is crunched through point for four.
“Morning Jim, Australia missing a trick by not opening with Mad Max? With fast bowlers and powerplay restrictions 120 in the first 10 overs is almost a given” Krishnamoorthy V is clearly a dreamer, and he’s not the only one. Maxwell has got his feet up for this one.
Glenn Maxwell looks too chilled out to be playing today. Sean Abbott has marked his run-up & so have Cummins and Hazlewood. Steve Smith is back #CWC23 #AusvBan
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) November 11, 2023
12th over: Australia 76-1 (Warner 22, Marsh 43) Mehidy replaces Mahedi and is greeted by a booming drive straight back past him for four by Mitch Marsh. Hello Gruesome! Next ball Marsh gets on the front foot again and bunts a huge six back over mid off. Crikes. Mehidy does well to keep the rest of the over to two singles. Bangladesh need to break this partnership quick sticks.
11th over: Australia 64-1 (Warner 21, Marsh 32) Six runs pocketed off the over as the batters rotate strike with a minimum of fuss. Shall we look ahead to Thursday? In the innings break the telly coverage was once more showing the drama of the 1999 World Cup. Do we think South Africa will finally write a new chapter in their World Cup story? Or will all the old cliches (don’t mention the C-word) be wheeled out on Friday morning?
10th over: Australia 58-1 (Warner 17, Marsh 30) Mahedi Hasan is quietly bowling a very nice spell here, he keeps the damage to a just a single off the over once more and is landing it on a postage stamp.
9th over: Australia 57-1 (Warner 16, Marsh 30) The fifty partnership comes up for Marsh and Warner in some style as Big Mitch lofts Nasum for six over mid off. I don’t think he even properly got hold of it, it certainly wasn’t timed yet it sailed over the fence for a maximum.
8th over: Australia 49-1 (Warner 15, Marsh 23) Nice from Mehedi again, just a single to Mitch Marsh and he keeps Warner tied to his crease for five dots.
7th over: Australia 48-1 (Warner 15, Marsh 22)Nasum Ahmed replaces Taskin, spin at both ends from Bangladesh. Warner hangs back in his crease and deposits a drag down wide of mid on for four. Gah! Full toss from Nasum is easily swiped behind square by Warner. Ten off the over for Australia.
6th over: Australia 38-1 (Warner 5, Marsh 22) Tight lines from Mehedi, he keeps Marsh tied down with some darting spin. Warner’s nudge to leg for a single and a leg-side wide the only runs off it.
Bass. Tight Lines. Vision dreams of passion.
5th over: Australia 36-1 (Warner 4, Marsh 22) Bosh! Marsh opens those broad shoulders and muscles Taskin over mid-off for four before following up with huge pull over midwicket for SIX! Bit between his teeth barely covers it.
New South Wales’ Kenrick Riley is on the wires:
“With two run outs and two catches, Marnus should have been given a bowl! But he’ll probably bat the house down instead?”
I’m still a bit scarred from OBOing Marnus’ plodding knock against South Africa earlier in the tournament, the curse of the net run rate. Give me Marsh and Warner slotting the ball over the boundary any day of the week Kenrick.
4th over: Australia 25-1 (Warner 3, Marsh 12) Mitchell Marsh is a dangerous player, he stands tall and drives Hasan through cover for a dismissive four. Close! A flatter ball is edge wide of the keeper for a spawny four but there is no doubt about the third boundary of the over, Marsh leans into a cover drive and holds the pose as the ball shoot across the baize to the boundary. I smell danger for Bangladesh – Marsh is pumped.
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WICKET! Head b Taskin Ahmed 10 (Australia 12-1)
Head is toppled! Or skittled, rather, chopping a back of a length delivery from Taskin onto his timbers. Head has to depart the scene, a pre-meditated swipe through midwicket his downfall. Mitchell Marsh is the new batter and he is kept honest off the final ball of the over by Taskin. Perky start from Bangladesh.
3rd over: Australia 12-1 (Warner 2, Marsh 0)
2nd over: Australia 6-0 (Head 4, Warner 2) Mehedi Hasan shares the new ball and is around the wicket to Davey Warner with a slip in. It’s a tidy over, an OBOer’s nightmare as he rattles through the deliveries, darting the ball in at the pads. Warner opens his account with a glide through point for a couple.
1st over: Australia 4-0 (Head 4, Warner 0) Taskin sends down two dots to start, the sun still beating down in Pune. The third ball is an attempted yorker from the pacer but it is in the slot for Head who clips through midwicket with a flourish for the first four of the Aussie innings. That’s yer lot for action off the first over. Do we think Australia are going to treat this as a useful 50 over net to get their batters in fine fettle for Thursday’s semi? Or (hopefully) are they going to try and blitz it and put their feet up after a couple of hours of carnage? The OBO mailbag is open for thoughts on that and indeed anything else. Anything.
Thanks JP and hello all. Straight down to brass tacks then with the players emerging from the sheds. Travis Head and David Warner stride out for Australia, Taskin Ahmed has the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Let’s play!
In the context of this world cup group phase that innings doesn’t mean a great deal, but Bangladesh can take great credit from the application of their batters to stick to the task and post their highest total of the tournament batting first. But they will be disappointed none of the seven batters that passed 20 went on to make a big score, especially considering the sloppy manner of so many dismissals, featuring three run outs.
For Australia, it was another wake-up call that despite reaching the semi-finals they remain a long way from the finished article. A fourth opening powerplay came and went without a wicket, Marsh and Stoinis had combined figures of nine overs 1/93, and once again Zampa (2/32) was relied upon to steady the ship after a poor start.
Cricviz tells me Australia are now 58% favourites, which is surely influenced by the conditions in Pune. The pitch is trustworthy, the weather is set fair, and the boundaries are short.
But Bangladesh have three frontline spinners and a fourth part-timer at their disposal. And the success of Zampa and Head demonstrated taking pace off the ball is the best mode of attack on this deck.
It will be a significant innings for Australia’s top and middle order with one of Marsh, Smith, Stoinis or Labuschagne likely to make way for the returning Maxwell for Thursday’s semi-final. A big knock, or a glaring failure this afternoon could prove decisive.
To find out who comes out on top in Pune, it’s over to James Wallace.
Bangladesh 306-8 (Australia need 307 to win)
50th over: Bangladesh 306-8 (Mahedi 2, Taskin 0) Excellent death bowling from Abbott for Australia and Bangladesh are restricted to 306.
WICKET! Nasum run out (Abbott) 7 (Bangladesh 304-8)
Slapstick stuff from Bangladesh. Abbott fields his own bowling smartly in his follow through, turns around and runs out the non-striker who was off on his merry way, presumably thinking the ball had not been fielded.
WICKET! Miraz c Cummins b Abbott 29 (Bangladesh 303-7)
Miraz mistimes a wallop straight to Cummins at cover. More excellent slower ball bowling from Abbott, who has done a good job filling in for Starc today.
49th over: Bangladesh 303-6 (Miraz 29 Nasum 7) 300 up for Bangladesh as Stoinis’ final over goes for 11. There’s only one boundary in it, a gloved pull that just beats Inglis to his left. Stoinis ends with 1/45 from his five overs.
48th over: Bangladesh 292-6 (Miraz 23 Nasum 2) Nasum swings and misses four times in a row before eventually squirting a single off Abbott. Dreadful batting, stranding the set batter at the non-striker’s end. Excellent bowling mind, full of variations of pace and length.
47th over: Bangladesh 290-6 (Miraz 22 Nasum 2) Nasum should be run out first ball but Cummins misses the shy from short midwicket with the batter miles from his ground after tipping and running a suicidal single.
“Can we (by which I mean commentators) stop referring to these sorts of roads as ‘good pitches’?” bemoans David Meiklejohn. “The TV companies got what they wanted: lots of fours and sixes and inflated batting performances, but small grounds, big bats and dead pitches make for generally boring cricket.” I’m sympathetic to that point of view, but there’s decent bounce and carry in this track that allows for good cricket. My issue in these conversations is the ball. The lack of swing and the dead seam renders it all but useless after the first few overs. And then the umpires are instructed to clamp down on outfielders throwing on the bounce to the keeper in a bid to deny reverse swing!
WICKET! Hridoy c Labuschagne b Stoinis 74 (Bangladesh 286-6)
Hazlewood and Abbott still have overs up their sleeves, but Cummins returns to Stoinis, despite Bangladesh clearly targeting the allrounder and his three overs so far going for 0/30. So, of course, he burgles a wicket with a knee-high leg-stump full toss that Hridoy dumps down long-on’s throat.
46th over: Bangladesh 283-5 (Hridoy 74, Miraz 18) Hridoy does well to get a cue end onto a wide Cummins yorker to earn four just to the right of Inglis, then Miraz hooks a bouncer just to the left of the keeper for four more. Bangladesh are cashing in nicely at the death here. Australia – Zampa aside – have looked toothless in the field.
45th over: Bangladesh 271-5 (Hridoy 68, Miraz 12) Zampa finishes his work with figures of 2/32 from his ten overs. Not for the first time this world cup he has been the pick of Australia’s bowlers and his spell has ensured his team remains in the contest after a difficult start.
44th over: Bangladesh 267-5 (Hridoy 66, Miraz 10) Hridoy gets away with another top edge over the keeper! He is leading a charmed life. Miraz shows him how to do it conventionally, executing a perfect ramp over Inglis with superb timing. Cummins has to accept a perfectly reasonable over has cost ten runs.
43rd over: Bangladesh 257-5 (Hridoy 61, Miraz 5) Mehidy Hasan Miraz is straight into his work with a lovely cover drive for four.
WICKET! Rahim c Cummins b Zampa 20 (Bangladesh 251-5)
Bangladesh just cannot kick on! Yet again another promising partnership ends tamely and another batter has to go after getting themselves in. This time it’s Mushfiqur Rahim failing to clear Pat Cummins at midwicket with a mistimed pull. Zampa’s golden run extends now to 22 wickets, with more sure to follow.
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42nd over: Bangladesh 251-4 (Hridoy 60, Rahim 20) Back to the mistimed slogging, and Rahim just about clears the fence at square leg, as well as the midwicket sweeper, for a very handy six. Abbott’s eighth over ends up going for 10 and his figures, once promising enough to question Mitchell Starc’s place in the XI, have now drifted.
41st over: Bangladesh 241-4 (Hridoy 58, Rahim 13) Zampa returns for his final spell and Bangladesh can only manage one run off the bat, thanks in no small part to some improvised keeping from Inglis who read the lap sweep, and placed himself in the right line, like a goalkeeper in football coming out to close down a striker bearing in on goal.
40th over: Bangladesh 239-4 (Hridoy 57, Rahim 13) The mistimed slogging continues as Abbott replaces Hazlewood. Rahim is lucky his heave to leg doesn’t reach the midwicket sweeper, then Hridoy is even more fortunate after sending a top edge miles into the air and just out of reach of the diving Inglis, who did brilliantly to make ground back-pedalling behind the stumps.
39th over: Bangladesh 228-4 (Hridoy 50, Rahim 9) And right on cue, Stoinis is unexpectedly back into the attack. Immediately the intent from the batters increases and some lusty – if not well-timed hits – add seven to the total.
38th over: Bangladesh 221-4 (Hridoy 49, Rahim 3) Just four singles from another solid Hazlewood over.
Just looking back on that pregame discussion around which one of Marsh, Smith, Stoinis or Labuschagne will miss out for the semi-final. I reckon with his run-outs and Stoinis’ bowling, the order has changed. Considering how well Maxwell and Head have bowled this world cup, Stoinis’ value as an allrounder has dropped. As head-to-head batters, Labuschagne has been the superior this tournament, and his fielding is becoming a weapon of its own.
37th over: Bangladesh 217-4 (Hridoy 47, Rahim 1) Seizing the opportunity to rattle through an over while Bangladesh reset, Cummins returns to Head, who sprints through his work for the cost of just three singles.
36th over: Bangladesh 214-4 (Hridoy 45, Rahim 0) The wicket was encouraged by an excellent Hazlewood over as Australia’s seamers continue their squeeze. But it was all about Labuschagne, who – for the second time today – turned a half-chance into a dismissal with some brilliant fielding.
If Bangladesh don’t post 300+ today they will only have themselves to blame for all these cheap dismissals of set batters.
WICKET! Mahmudullah run out (Labuschagne) 32 (Bangladesh 214-4)
Just like clockwork, Bangladesh get in a decent position from which to attack and a batter gifts their wicket away. It’s another brilliant piece of fielding from Marnus Labuschagne, but it’s more calamitous cricket from the Tigers. Hridoy dabbed the ball into the offside and called Mahmudullah thtough. Labuschagne was on it in a flash and threw the stumps down on the flying dive from a couple of strips away.
35th over: Bangladesh 213-3 (Hridoy 45, Mahmudullah 31) Mahmudullah gets a stroke of luck, top edging a pull over the keeper’s head for four. It’s the only shot offered in anger in another good Cummins over dominated by deliveries landing short of a length.
34th over: Bangladesh 206-3 (Hridoy 44, Mahmudullah 26) Hazlewood sensibly replaces Marsh straight after drinks, and he concedes just three singles bowlign a conventional line and length.
33rd over: Bangladesh 203-3 (Hridoy 42, Mahmudullah 25) Cummins commits to the short ball approach again and Bangladesh can only muster a couple of singles in response. Time for the second and final drinks break of the innings.
32nd over: Bangladesh 201-3 (Hridoy 41, Mahmudullah 24) The three-over spell rotation continues with the ineffective Marsh replacing the quietly effective Abbott. It’s a poor decision because Bangladesh have clearly decided to target Marsh and Stoinis, and Mahmudullah waits just one ball to step down the track and clobber a flat six over square leg. Marsh oversteps with the follow-up, then bowls a wide with the first free-hit, Mahmudullah eventually slashing the next freebie for six over long-on!
Marsh has 0/48 from four, Stoinis 0/21 from two. Put those cues back in the rack.
31st over: Bangladesh 183-3 (Hridoy 40, Mahmudullah 9) Zampa gets another breather as Cummins brings himself back on following his poor opening spell. The skipper isn’t as consistently short as Abbott, but he uses the short ball to good effect to concede just three singles from the over.
30th over: Bangladesh 180-3 (Hridoy 38, Mahmudullah 8) Abbott continues to go short but Mahmudullah is up to the task, pulling mightily over square leg for six! That was thrilling. However, it only just cleared Warner near the fence – who had crept a few metres in from the rope. That really should have been out.
29th over: Bangladesh 171-3 (Hridoy 37, Mahmudullah 0) As with previous dismissals, the wicket slows down Bangladesh’s scoring with Zampa going for just one single.
As well as Abbott forcing himself into the reckoning for the semi-final, does Labuschagne’s fielding give him an edge over Marsh, Smith, or Stoinis for that spot batting between three and seven? Or does it just make him an ideal 12th man?
WICKET! Shanto run out (Labuschagne) 45 (Bangladesh 170-3)
Another excellent Abbott over, dominated by short-of-a-length deliveries sent down at a variety of paces. He does especially well going very very short to Shanto after spotting the batter charging him in consecutive deliveries. The second of which is pulled awkwardly behind square leg where Labuschagne fields superbly, chasing hard, throwing on the turn straight into the keeper’s gloves. The zing bails light up before Shanto completes his dive. The third absolutely awful dismissal of the day for Bangladesh, and the third set batter sacrificing a good start.
We’re approaching “whisper it quietly” but Sean Abbott might be worth backing in the semi-final. Excellent lower order batter, bowling well in unhelpful conditions here, could he be giving Australia’s selectors a headache?
28th over: Bangladesh 170-3 (Hridoy 36, Mahmudullah 0)
27th over: Bangladesh 168-2 (Shanto 44, Hridoy 36) Zampa’s break was only a short one with Cummins not trusting Head after Bangladesh lined him up at the end of his previous over. But the runs keep flowing with Shanto skipping down the track and driving straight with a full controlled swing of the bat.
26th over: Bangladesh 163-2 (Shanto 40, Hridoy 35) Stoinis has to be withdrawn, and it’s Abbott that replaces him. He appears to have a premeditated plan to bowl majority short of a length deliveries, and it almost buys a wicket in a very tidy over. Shanto, like Tanzid before him, doesn’t pick up the length early and bunts a leading edge just wide of cover and short of mid-off in a stroke of good fortune. Surely the gameplan for Australia’s seamers is now set.
25th over: Bangladesh 161-2 (Shanto 40, Hridoy 34) A rare boundary off Head’s bowling, courtesy of a Cummins misfield at cover, motivates Hridoy to go back-to-back, launching a lofted drive with sweet timing straight back over the bowler’s head and into the stands! This pair are fighting back nicely after giving themselves time to get in following Das’ dismissal.
24th over: Bangladesh 148-2 (Shanto 38, Hridoy 23) While the slower bowlers prosper, the pacemen are getting no change from this Pune pitch. Stoinis concedes 12 in his second over, to go with nine in his first. As well as a whipcrack pull for four from Shanto, there’s a Hridoy boundary that was barely a forward defensive, but timed so sweetly it still skipped towards the sightscreen at a decent lick.
23rd over: Bangladesh 136-2 (Shanto 32, Hridoy 17) Head’s removal is quickly answered as he reappears from Zampa’s end with the leggie given a breather after an innings-changing spell of five overs 1/15. Bangladesh can only muster four singles from his replacement as Head rushes through another over at breakneck speed.
22nd over: Bangladesh 132-2 (Shanto 30, Hridoy 15) I’m not sure why, but Cummins has removed Head to bring on Stoinis. Is this three-over spell captaincy by numbers? The decision goes from odd to poor inside two balls when Stoinis drops short and gets belted through midwicket with disdain by Shanto. The follow-up is a grotesque wide that’s too high as well as slanting down the legside.
21st over: Bangladesh 123-2 (Shanto 24, Hridoy 13) Can Bangladesh break the shackles? Yes! Hridoy waits for some length, keeps his head down, and drives through the line of the ball for a clean six over midwicket! Excellent shot for maximum reward played with minimal risk.
20th over: Bangladesh 114-2 (Shanto 23, Hridoy 5) With Zampa bowling beautifully at one end and Head ripping through his work at the other, Bangladesh are being suffocated.
19th over: Bangladesh 109-2 (Shanto 21, Hridoy 2) Zampa bellows for an LBW after beating the lurching prod of Hridoy with an unpicked googly. It looked very very good in real time but, with only one review left, Cummins reluctantly chooses not to go upstairs. It was a good call too because DRS suggested the ball was bouncing over. Cricket’s on-field umpires are magnificent, whatever David Warner might think. Zampa has tied Bangladesh in knots since he came on. He has 1/6 from four overs.
18th over: Bangladesh 108-2 (Shanto 21, Hridoy 1) With Bangladesh forced to regroup it’s an ideal time for Head to race through an over of darts for the concession of just two singles. Australia suddenly in the ascendancy despite doing very little right.
17th over: Bangladesh 106-2 (Shanto 20, Hridoy 0) Zampa now has 21 wickets for the tournament and he’s clearly his country’s star act in the field today.
WICKET! Das c Labuschagne b Zampa 36 (106-2)
Another poor poor dismissal from a Bangladesh set opener. Four balls into Zampa’s third tight over Das unfurls a lofted drive from nowhere, but doesn’t seem to commit to it. Almost as if his hands were hitting through the line by muscle memory, without the authority of his brain. The result is the simplest of catches for long-on. Very frustrating for the Bangladesh camp.
16th over: Bangladesh 105-1 (Das 36, Shanto 19) Spin from both ends for Australia, and not before time, with Travis Head into the attack. He lets himself down with a long hop that Shanto smacks through the offside for four, but otherwise it’s a handy over of darts that’s completed in quicktime.
15th over: Bangladesh 99-1 (Das 35, Shanto 14) DROPPED! Das mistimes a drive off Zampa that squirts off the inside edge and towards Cummins at midwicket who flies to his left but can’t hold on to a very tough chance. Australia’s premier spinner has settled into his work nicely, which is more than can be said for his seam bowling colleagues.
14th over: Bangladesh 96-1 (Das 33, Shanto 13) Abbott’s wicket-taking spell ends after three overs with Marsh quickly back into the attack following a change of ends. Shanto’s happy with the call, taking a couple of steps and bullying a back-of-a-length delivery through midwicket with serious authority. Then he stands his ground and larrups a genuine short ball to the same portion of the Pune outfield. Right now, you wouldn’t guess which one of these teams are going home and which one is tuning up for a semi-final.
13th over: Bangladesh 84-1 (Das 31, Shanto 3) Big bowling change now with Adam Zampa entering the fray. He has a massive shout for LBW second ball with Shanto missing a sweep. It looked very good in real time, unless there was an inside edge. Zampa convinces Cummins to REVIEW! But TV replays quickly confirm Shanto did get something on the ball before it hit his pad – but it was the back of his left glove. Very very lucky.
An excellent over goes for just one single with Zampa finding his line and length from the off.
12th over: Bangladesh 83-1 (Das 31, Shanto 2) A maiden world cup wicket for Abbott as Bangladesh’s susceptibility to the short ball continues. They have been undone time and again this tournament by their inability to play rising deliveries.
WICKET! Tanzid c&b Abbott 36 (Bangladesh 76-1)
Bangladesh have looked untroubled all morning, but Tanzid contrives to get himself out. Abbott drops short, without much menace, but Tanzid doesn’t pick up the length, ends up getting in an awkward position deep in his crease as the ball gets big on him, fending a limp leading edge straight back to the bowler.
11th over: Bangladesh 75-0 (Tanzid 36, Das 29) An extra fielder goes out but the runs keep flowing – and how. Das begins with a textbook extra-cover drive off the bowling of Marsh, then Tanzid calmly deposits a length delivery over the bowler’s head, following it up with a checked drive that teases the cover fielder but beats him to the fence. Australia’s attack so far has looked popgun on this flat even-paced surface.
10th over: Bangladesh 62-0 (Tanzid 28, Das 24) Bangladesh are happy to deal in singles, until Abbott pitches up and Das tries to flick him over midwicket. He doesn’t get all of it but it clears the ring easily. Tanzid then goes the tonk but can only inside-edge a couple past short fine-leg. For the fourth time in nine matches Australia fail to take a powerplay wicket
9th over: Bangladesh 54-0 (Tanzid 24, Das 20) The Tigers are roaring now. Marsh replaces Hazlewood in the attack but Tanzid doesn’t even give him a sighter, dancing down the track and ploughing a boundary through midwicket. Australia might get away with this kind of powerplay against Bangladesh, but they daren’t offer South Africa this kind of start on Thursday.
8th over: Bangladesh 48-0 (Tanzid 20, Das 20) Abbott replaces the ineffective Cummins but his second delivery is short and wide outside off stump and clubbed through the covers for four. The fourth ball is also short and wide and this one reaches the boundary much squarer. Das didn’t overhit either of those shots, just knocking the ball on its head. There’s more of a flourish to the third boundary of the over, flicking a leg stump half-volley behind square leg with a Viv-like follow-through. The value of Mitchell Starc grows in his absence.
7th over: Bangladesh 35-0 (Tanzid 20, Das 8) Australia are getting no help in the air or off the pitch, meaning they’re reduced to bowling back of a length, rendering the two slips spectators. Bangladesh’s openers have recognised this and, after acclimatising to the conditions, are now starting to hit through the line, confident of where the ball is likely to pitch. The result is an over worth six runs to Tanzid, that could easily be more, and further headaches for Cummins and co.
6th over: Bangladesh 29-0 (Tanzid 14, Das 8) How good is this pitch? Good enough for Tanzid to take a couple of steps towards the non-striker, open his shoulders, and clout Cummins through the line and over extra cover for a boundary full of intent. Cummins reverts back over the wicket so Tanzid stays in his crease and bunts a straight drive for four more. Powerplay questions again for cap’n Cummins.
5th over: Bangladesh 20-0 (Tanzid 5, Das 8) Hazlewood is again on his line and length for the majority of his third over, straying only twice. There’s a short ball early in the piece that whistles past the badge on Das’ helmet. He tries to repeat the trick later on, but without the same venom, and the Bangladesh opener swivels and pulls crisply for a very handsome boundary through square leg.
4th over: Bangladesh 16-0 (Tanzid 5, Das 4) Cummins’ ordinary start continues. His second over contains another legside wide, and he’s fortunate Das doesn’t profit from a leg stump half-volley. One delivery does beat the forward prod for pace, but it’s pretty humdrum fare out there so far. Simon Doull is encouraging a change of plan from Australia, such as bringing on Marcus Stoinis or Mitch Marsh in this powerplay to try to make something happen.
3rd over: Bangladesh 13-0 (Tanzid 4, Das 3) Tighter from Hazlewood, plugging away on that probing line and length, and even getting a couple of deliveries to curve away from the right-hander in the air.
2nd over: Bangladesh 10-0 (Tanzid 3, Das 1) Cummins’ first ball heralds the first run of the day with the Australian skipper leaking onto Das’ pads and being worked away for a single. Tanzid then gets off the mark with a couple into the offside before an ill-advised charge and swipe that risks a shoulder dislocation more than a boundary. It’s an unthreatening over from the big quick, pockmarked by two legside wides, one of which flies all the way to the boundary. Australia’s powerplay woes continue.
1st over: Bangladesh 0-0 (Tanzid 0, Das 0) Hazlewood starts exactly as you’d expect, hitting the deck and beating the bat outside the off stump. He’s bowling right-arm over the wicket to the left-handed Tanzid on a pitch that looks flat and hard and disconcertingly monochrome, like a stripe of evenly applied matt paint. Dot follows dot follows dot follows dot until they’re all joined in the scorebook by a proud capital M for maiden.
The Bangladesh openers, Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das, are striding confidently out into the middle. Josh Hazlewood will bowl the first over, in the absence of Mitchell Starc. Here we go!
Anthem time in Pune. A chance to observe a very sparse crowd for this early start.
Today’s umpires are Marais Erasmus – he of timed out fame – and Ahsan Raza.
Speaking of Pune, it is hot and humid, but an easterly breeze and some cloud cover means it should not feel as oppressive as some matches this tournament.
The pitch has been sporting, offering plenty of runs to teams batting first, but also something for the quicks, which should suit Australia.
Bangladesh have struggled with the bat this world cup, especially posting a total, with a first innings best of 256. Without Shakib, and against such a powerful bowling unit on a helpful pitch, they will have their work cut out again in Pune.
Bangladesh XI
Captain Shakib Al Hasan misses with a fractured finger. He’s replaced by allrounder Mahedi Hasan with left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed also coming in for Shoriful Islam.
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Litton Das, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 7 Towhid Hridoy, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Marsh, Smith, Stoinis and Labuschagne must be in something of a virtual bat-off, with one of those to make way for Maxwell against South Africa. The order of preference will be as stated, but if Labuschagne plays a crucial role today he’ll be hard to drop.
Australia XI
“We still haven’t played the complete game,” admits Cummins as he explains two changes to his XI. Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc are rested ahead of Thursday’s semi. Steve Smith returns from vertigo, and Sean Abbott gets his first taste of world cup action in the attack.
Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Josh Inglis (wk), 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood
Australia with the toss and elect to field
“Looks like a good wicket but it’s early morning and there should be some movement,” says Pat Cummins.
Updated
In other bad news (is there anything else these days?) things are not going well in Sri Lanka.
In Pune for Australia's final group-stage match against Bangladesh, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell are taking it very easy in the warm-ups. Starc has got wicketkeeping gloves on and Maxwell is giving throw-downs to Steve Smith. Both potentially up for a rest today #CWC23
— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) November 11, 2023
Elsewhere in the cricketing firmament, Geoff Lemon brings us bad news from YouTube.
If you’re reading an article about cricket on the internet, then at some point in your life you have watched a Rob Moody video. It would have bobbed up, a YouTube link in a group chat or a thread of replies. It might have been a compilation of Damien Martyn drives with the frame inverted to make him a left-hander. A collection of Steve Waugh run outs. An hour of West Indies swagger from a Test in 1988.
Bangladesh were the focus of attention last week when captain Shakib Al Hasan successfully appealed for Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews to become the first international cricketer to be timed out. It provoked a familiar round of handwringing as – not for the first time – cricket lovers wrestled with the thorny issue of the game’s spirit.
Tanya Aldred has enjoyed the sideshow.
Ultimately, in a world that feels more chaotic and catastrophic on an hourly basis, Mathews’s dismissal is a moment of levity. It lights the touchpaper to furious yet safe debate over rights and wrongs, morality and shame, while through the saloon door of the pub, the friendly ICC World Cup partner Aramco continues its voracious thirst for oil, and humans keep endlessly killing each other.
South Africa’s victory yesterday effectively resolved the group stage picture. They now have a semi-final with Australia to look forward to. While Bangladesh’s bowling coach, Allan Donald, can look forward to an afternoon of close-ups on TV while commentators question his decision making 24 years ago.
Before the caravan of cricket leaves Glenn Maxwell’s piece de resistance in the dust, savour the spectacle of peak Maxwellball one more time with Geoff Lemon.
Sometimes, in any sport, all you can do is sit and look and ask: what the hell just happened? Sometimes, it defies any conventional understanding. Glenn Maxwell has produced more moments like this than most. This one, though, in Mumbai on Tuesday night, was the apogee. More than a moment, a string of them. An extended sequence of impossibility, one after the other spiralling off into the floodlights and the smog and the endless jubilant roar, sweat and bewilderment and metallic adrenaline in an impressionist smear.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live OBO coverage of match 43 of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Australia v Bangladesh will get under way in Pune at 10.30am local time (4pm AEDT/5am GMT).
With just two matches to go after this, the group stage race has all but run. India have dominated, and will face New Zealand in Wednesday’s semi-final (barring Pakistan pulling off the miracle of all miracles later today against England), while Australia and South Africa are guaranteed to meet in Thursday’s semi.
At the other end of the table there is qualification for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy to play for, but even that looks a done deal with Sri Lanka and the Netherlands set to miss out.
So what does that mean for today?
For Bangladesh, the opportunity to end a disappointing tournament on a high and begin the process of renewal ahead of another cycle.
For Australia, a dress-rehearsal for the knockout phase and one last opportunity to extract an all-round performance from a side that has relied on moments of individual brilliance so far this world cup. Of course, none of those moments were more brilliant than Glenn Maxwell’s staggering innings against Afghanistan.
Australia’s brains trust have some tricky decisions to make. Do they treat today’s match with full intensity and select the aching Maxwell and the vertigo-suffering Steve Smith despite neither likely to be fully fit? Or do they rest and rotate and bring in the likes of Sean Abbott and Alex Carey to share the load?
There’s always the risk of flirting with form, but only Maxwell and David Warner are averaging over 40 with the bat, and Adam Zampa is the only bowler convincingly under 30 with the ball – so there’s not a whole heap of form to disrupt.
Moreover, Josh Inglis (avg 18.71) has not done enough to demand his continued selection over Carey, while the selection of numbers three to seven (Maxwell excluded) remains a lottery. A decisive performance today – good or bad – from anyone in the middle order could prove crucial in determining the XI selected for the Proteas next week.
I’ll leave it there for now, but if you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
