Cricket: Bangladesh up against huge chase, hopeful on halfway

25 overs Bangladesh 152 for 1 (Kayes 78*, Nafees 36*) need another 210 runs to beat Australia 361 for 8 (Hussey 108, Watson 72, Razzak 3-58, Mortaza 3-80)

Australia might have posted their fourth-highest ODI total of all time, but Imrul Kayes was leading a feisty Bangladesh response that left Michael Clarke scratching his head for answers at the halfway point of the chase. Bangladesh needed 362 for what seemed to be an unlikely victory but after 25 overs, they had reached 152 for 1, and required another 210.

Kayes was the key figure after Tamim Iqbal departed for 32 off 17 balls, and together Kayes and Shahriar Nafees then combined for a partnership that had reached 109. Nafees was on 36 and Kayes had made 72, and with the Australians struggling for penetration in the absence of the rested Brett Lee, the Bangladesh fans were hoping their side could keep up the fight.

The only wicket fell when Tamim was beaten by a Mitchell Johnson yorker, but Australia battled to created any other opportunities. The debutant fast bowler James Pattinson bowled with impressive pace but couldn't quite maintain his accuracy, while John Hastings struggled with the extra responsibility of being handed the new ball.

Ten had come off the first over of the chase, as Tamim slashed a six over third man, and his intentions were immediately clear. But it was Kayes who kept the tempo up following the departure of his opening partner, and he played some classy drives and cuts, finding the gaps and generally avoiding the type of risks taken by Tamim.

However, Kayes showed that he could also clear the boundary, with a well-judged slap over midwicket off Shane Watson. Nafees wasn't finding it quite as easy to score, though, and with a required run-rate of 8.40 at the 25-over stage, Bangladesh's hopes seemed to depend largely on how long Kayes stayed at the crease, and how much strike he could take.

Michael Hussey's third one-day international century has left Bangladesh needing their highest chase of all time to prevent Australia completing a clean-sweep of the three-match series. Hussey anchored the innings from No. 5 and his effort complemented the blazing displays from Shane Watson at the top of the order and Mitchell Johnson later on, as Australia reached 361 for 8, their fourth-highest ODI total.

It might be tempting for Bangladesh to feel as though they reeled Australia in a touch, after Watson and Ricky Ponting took the score to 80 without loss after eight overs. But if the horse hadn't bolted it had at least noticed that the gate was open, and Australia rode to the relative safety of 300-plus, before they galloped into the home straight and left daylight behind them.

As well as the Australians batted, Bangladesh had themselves to blame for the disappointing effort. Apart from the impressive Abdur Razzak (3 for 58) and perhaps Suhrawadi Shuvo, the bowlers really struggled to find the right line and length. They couldn't capitalise after slowing Australia's strong start and pegging them back to 142 for 3, and three partnerships of 70-plus set the tone for the innings.

First it was Watson and Ponting - who was opening for just the third time in his ODI career - who launched the innings with a 110-run stand. Then Hussey and Michael Clarke (47) combined for an 89-run partnership that steered the Australians through the middle overs, and a 70-run effort from Johnson and Hussey put the finishing touches on the total.

Hussey was lbw in the final over for 108, ending his first ODI century in four years. There were a couple of sixes but it was a typical Hussey limited-overs knock, finding the gaps and the boundaries, and running hard when the ball couldn't be dispatched completely.

He was overshadowed during his partnership with Johnson, who lifted consecutive sixes over long-off from the bowling of Mashrafe Mortaza. It was a forgettable day for Mortaza, who took three wickets but haemorrhaged 80 runs from his nine overs, and although Johnson holed out off his bowling for 41 off 24 balls, it was no consolation.

The Australians had been on top since the first over, when Watson pulled and punched through the off side for a pair of boundaries off Shafiul Islam that augured badly for Bangladesh, who had watched Watson strike a world record 15 sixes on Monday. Today, he picked up where he left off, and hit four fours in Shafiul's next over.

When the spinners came on, Watson continued to slap and slog-sweep boundaries and sixes at will, and brought up his half-century from 25 deliveries. By the time he misjudged the turn and slower pace of a Razzak delivery and was bowled trying to sweep, Watson had made 72 from 40 balls with 11 fours and three sixes. Australia's new vice-captain was out, but has clearly enjoyed his first tour with the added responsibility.

At the other end, the man who has had all that accountability on his shoulders as leader for nearly a decade was also having a good time in his new role. Ponting played with freedom, though nothing like the abandon of Watson, and a pull for six off Mashrafe Mortaza was vintage Ponting. Eventually, he too fell attempting a sweep, when he was lbw to Razzak for 47.

But the good balls had been too few and far between for Bangladesh in the early stages. The seamers especially were wayward, although it didn't help that Shakib Al Hasan waited until the ninth over to introduce spin. And after the loss of both openers, Clarke kept the Australians on track with his steady innings, which ended when he tried to slog across the line and was bowled by Mortaza.

Not that everything was hunky-dory for Australia. Notably, their young batsmen failed today. Steven Smith was promoted to No. 4 and popped a return catch to Shuvo for 5, Callum Ferguson spooned a catch to mid-off for 3 and Tim Paine was lbw trying to reverse-sweep for 7. They were unfortunate failures for three men who want to be a big part of Australia's one-day future, but their older team-mates have ensured that the series should end in a clean-sweep.