Sports Reporter

After Bangladesh managed to secure the five-match T20I series against Australia with two games in hand, it was expected that the hosts would make some changes to the team to test and test their depth in the fourth game. Instead, the Tigers went for the will and kept the winning combination intact.

However, one area that most assumed Bangladesh would need to change was in one of the opening slots, with Soumya Sarkar looking no way near to his best.

The idea from the team management to include Soumya for the fourth T20I despite his scores of 2, 0, and 2 in the first three games was supposed to give the left-hander assurance and confidence. But unfortunately, Soumya failed to grab that chance for the fourth consecutive time.

The left-hander once again lacked confidence and was tentative right from the start against off-spinner Ashton Turner. And although he struck a six to him the next over, he had his heart in his mouth at one point when his chip went just narrowly past the fielder at long-off.

The team management would hope that both openers, Naim Sheikh and Soumya, could lay a stable foundation, but the latter failed to make an impact yet again.

Soumya looked to have no control as he went to pull Josh Hazlewood and ended up edging the ball to cover. The 28-year-old had a good outing in Zimbabwe with two fifties in three games and also ended as the player of the series, but Soumya simply could not continue that fine run against the Aussies.

In fact, he showed a clear lack of composure when asked to face a superior bowling attack against the Aussies. The manner of his dismissals in the three previous T20Is saw his questionable approach come under a magnifying glass.

He made an ugly decision as an opener in the first T20I when he tried to make room for Hazlewood and ended up only dragging the ball onto his stumps after scoring two runs off one ball.

His dismissal in the second game was even worse. He went for a big cross-batted heave facing just his second delivery of the innings from Mitchell Starc, who fired in a fuller length delivery, and was bowled for a duck.

Soumya was caught plumb in front in the third T20I while going after a rather fuller delivery from leg spinner Adam Zampa. He had faced 11 deliveries and made two.

Despite the Tigers finding a lot of positives from the series so far, Soumya’s lack of form and approach remain the biggest area of concern for Bangladesh as they move ahead.

SCORES IN BRIEF

Bangladesh

104 for 9 in 20 overs (Naim 28, Shakib 15, Afif 20, Mahedi 23, extras 5; Hazlewood 2-24, Agar 1-22, Tye 3-18, Swepson 3-12)

Australia

105 for 7 in 19 overs (Christian 39, Marsh 11, Agar 27, extras 3; Mahedi 2-17, Shakib 0-50, Nasum 1-17, Mustafizur 2-9, Shoriful 1-8)

Result: Australia won by three wickets.

Player-of-the-match: Mitchell Swepson.

Bangladesh opener Soumya Sarkar walks back to the pavilion after making only 8 runs. Bangladesh batsmen cut forlorn figures, scoring only 104 for nine in 20 overs, to suffer a three-wicket defeat against Australia in the fourth T20I of the five-match series in Mirpur yesterday.

photo: FIROZ AHMED