Pat Cummins has become just the second Australian to take a T20 World Cup hat-trick, doing so in the Aussies’ opening Super 8 clash against Bangladesh in Antigua.
Stretching across the 18th and 20th overs, Mahmudullah was Cummins’ first wicket when he chopped on for 2. Mahedi Hasan was next, caught by Adam Zampa in the deep first ball.
But Cummins had to wait a whole over before he got his chance to seal it, and eventually did so when he had the established Towhid Hridoy caught at short fine-leg by Josh Hazlewood for 40.
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Brett Lee’s hat-trick at the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 also came against Bangladesh, and also came in the Super 8s.
Having won the toss and elected to field, Australia restricted the Tigers to 8-140.
Earlier, Mitchell Starc became the most prolific wicket-taker in World Cup history when he bowled Tanzid Hasan in the first over of the Bangladesh innings.
The wicket was his 95th at a World Cup, and moved him clear of Sri Lankan quick Lasith Malinga. It’s Starc’s eighth world cup – three ODI and five T20.
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Australia opted against taking a spin-heavy attack into the match, instead opting to bring Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins back into the team at the expense of Nathan Ellis and Ashton Agar.
That decision was immediately ratified when Starc struck in the first over to move past Malinga.
Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto put on 58 for the second wicket and were starting to look dangerous when Zampa made the breakthrough, and bowled Das in the ninth over.
Maxwell made it a double blow in the next over, when he had Rishad Hossain caught for two.
While Shanto was down the other end, the Bangladeshi’s still looked dangerous but as he has done so often, Zampa was the man to remove him in the 13th over, out lbw for 41.
Cummins was pick of the bowlers with 3-29. Zampa finished with 2-24, while Starc, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell all picked up a pole each.