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Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has praised first-gamer James Pattinson and fellow youngster Steve Smith for their role in thwarting a threatening Bangladesh run-chase.
Australia completed a clean sweep of their three-game one-day international cricket series with a 66-run win in Dhaka on Wednesday night.
But it was not the cruise expected after Mike Hussey’s first one-day century in more than four years helped the visitors post 8-361, batting first.
In reply, Bangladesh’s top-order batsmen helped their side to 1-164 by the 27-over mark, giving them a sniff of what would have been a monumental upset.
Opening batsman Imrul Kayes (93 from 95 balls) batted beautifully.
But a three-over spell of 1-9 from 20-year-old Victorian quick Pattinson, which included the wicket of Kayes, plus 21-year-old leg-spinning allrounder Smith’s tight bowling at the other end, swung the momentum back to Australia.
“On wickets like that you have to bowl in partnerships, you have to work out who the batsman is you’re trying to attack and which batsman, if somebody’s going well, you’re trying to defend,” Clarke said.
“It’s about keeping the bloke who’s going well off strike as much as possible – I thought young James and Smithy did that really well.
“Smithy bowled very well without too much luck tonight, to be honest.
“He changed his pace really well and probably could have had two or three wickets.
“It’s very exciting to see young Patto come in and do well and I’m stoked with the result in the series.”
By the end of the 39th over, in which allrounder Shane Watson snared two wickets, Bangladesh were 5-223 and out of the game.
They still posted 6-295, comfortably their highest score against Australia.
Their previous best was the 255 they scored the only time they beat Australia, in Cardiff in 2005.
Earlier, experienced players Hussey (108 from 91 balls), Watson (72 from 40), Ricky Ponting (47 from 50), Clarke (47 from 62) and Mitchell Johnson (41 from 24) all fired with the bat, but younger players Smith, Callum Ferguson and Tim Paine fell cheaply.
Brett Lee and Brad Haddin were rested to allow Pattinson and Paine to play.
The Australian team now has a break until August, when they tour Sri Lanka, but most players are heading off to join their Indian Premier League sides.
AAP scl/bh
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