Australia arrive at Headingley, Leeds, for their Group 1 T20 World Cup fixture against Bangladesh full of confidence after a 65-run demolition of South Africa in their tournament opener, a win that also lifted them to the top of the standings on net run rate. The match starts at 3 PM IST.
That comprehensive victory in Manchester underlined Australia’s batting depth and bowling control, giving them an early edge in a group that includes India. Having used a four-pronged spin attack on the spin-friendly Old Trafford surface, selectors may reconfigure for Headingley, where conditions are expected to favour pace and bounce. Veteran quick Megan Schutt is a strong contender to return to the XI if Australia opt to bolster their seam attack.
Bangladesh also started brightly, beating the Netherlands by six wickets in Birmingham. The chase was seldom in doubt after debutant Juairiya Ferdous struck a half-century on her first World Cup appearance and Sharmin Akter Supta composedly finished the job.
The Tigers are likely to stick with the same playing XI after an encouraging display in the opener. Their morale has been further strengthened by a late surge in the pre-tournament tri-series in Edinburgh, where they recovered from two early defeats to win their final three matches.
History, however, heavily favours Australia. The sides have met twice at the T20 World Cup and Australia won on both occasions: an 85-run opening stand from Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney powered a victory in Canberra in 2020, while Georgia Wareham’s 3 for 20 and Meg Lanning’s unbeaten 48 secured an eight-wicket win in Gqeberha three years later.
Australia also come into the tournament on the back of a 3-0 series sweep of the West Indies, though they endured a 2-1 home series loss to India earlier this year. (IANS)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/06/17/aus-keen-to-maintain-momentum-against-in-form-bangladesh/
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Publish Date: 2026-06-17 02:46:00
