CHATTOGRAM, June 20, (V7N) – Bangladesh will aim to salvage some pride and avoid a series whitewash when they take on Australia in the third and final T20 International at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Motiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram tomorrow (Sunday). Having already secured the series with victories in the first two matches, Australia lead the three-match contest 2-0, winning the opener by four wickets before edging Bangladesh by seven runs in the second encounter.

Bangladesh entered the T20 series with high expectations after clinching the preceding ODI series 2-1 against Australia. However, they have failed to replicate that success in the shortest format. The hosts' batting struggled in the first match, while an improved performance in the second game still proved insufficient. Chasing a challenging target, Bangladesh raced to 72-1 in the first six overs but lost momentum during the middle overs and eventually fell short.

Stand-in captain Towhid Hridoy said the team had identified areas that needed improvement and remained confident of ending the series on a positive note. "We played really good cricket, but there are a couple of areas we need to develop. Those who are set need to carry on a little bit more for the team," Hridoy said. Bangladesh will again be without regular captain Liton Das, who was ruled out of the entire series due to injury.

The hosts could make changes to their playing XI, with pace bowler Taskin Ahmed likely to replace leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who has struggled in the series. Australia, meanwhile, have bounced back strongly from their ODI series defeat. Captain Mitchell Marsh expressed satisfaction with his side's performance but insisted they remained focused on completing a clean sweep.

Australia are expected to rotate their squad after sealing the series, with Josh Philippe and Matt Kuhnemann yet to feature on the tour and could be given opportunities in the final match. The two sides have met 13 times in T20 internationals, with Australia winning nine matches and Bangladesh four. All four Bangladesh victories came during their memorable 4-1 home series win over Australia in 2021.

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