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Australia vs Bangladesh, 11th Match, Pool A at Brisbane, , Feb 21 2015 - Ball by Ball Commentary

ABANDONED
11th Match, Pool A (D/N), Brisbane, February 21, 2015, ICC Cricket World Cup
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Match abandoned without a ball bowled

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4.42 pm And it is official, the match has been abandoned due to rain, without a ball bowled. So with this no-result both Australia and Bangladesh share a point, with Australia and Bangladesh now taking on the second and third spot respectively in the Pool A standings. New Zealand, with three out of three wins, reign supreme. Unfortunately for those who wanted to see a Bangladesh-Australia tie after nearly four years, well the wait will have to continue.. The rain had the final say as we have our first washout of the tournament.

Hopefully this is an anomaly as we look forward to some rather cracking contests ahead. First up, we have Afghanistan and Sri Lanka duking it out in Dunedin at 11.00 am local time, followed by one of the most highly anticipated clashes of the group stages as South Africa look to take on world champions India at the MCG. That match will be live at 2.30 pm local time. We hope you will be able to join us for these two matches. Till then, this is Rohan Sharma bidding you adieu! Hopefully the weather is a little brighter where you are.

Protears: "Ind, WI, Ire & Zim will qualify from group B. I can see SA comfortably losing against WI (remember, what Sammy said during the ODI series against SA?), Ind are fully equipped to topple SA. Pak are now cornered tigers. They face a similar situation like they did in the 92 WC. They will comeback strongly and beat SA (only to lose against Ire once again). Ireland will literally crush SA. SA will have a consolation win against UAE though. ;)"

Sifter: "Let's not overreact people! If Pakistan beats Ireland, suddenly it's a 3 way race for the last 2 spots in group B, and Ireland is just as likely to be upset by Zimbabwe as Pak/WI, probably more so. They don't have a good history of being consistently good. And if England beats Bangladesh, they'll be back on track for the quarters. Bangladesh needs to upset one of the big 4 teams before they get penciled in, so the big 8 may still all make the quarters."

4.30 pm: He was one of the most wonderful exponents of spin bowling in the limited-overs game, even picking up a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Scott Oliver interviews Saqlain Mushtaq, the maverick spinner, who talks about his cricketing highlights, and some of the lower points in his career.

Mac: "Is there actually any way that South Africa WON'T be finishing top of group B? The other sides in the group look extremely weak... In fact Zimbabwe seem to me most likely to finish 2nd given the form of the other full member nations. It would be good if Ireland could sneak through in third or fourth as well"

Abhishek : "Group B looks very interesting. Suddenly all teams looks like are in for a spot in QF. Irish looked strong against windies, if they can do well against Zim and UAE then they certainly have a good chance, on the other hand as WI lost to Ireland they looked pretty dominating today. Zim is looking good since their warm ups. So I believe its going to be a topsy turvy ride and we have to wait to see who will go through and who will not."

4.20 pm: One Asian captain has admitted to not adapting to conditions, another is working hard with his team to get them match-ready for what should be an epic clash as India look to face off against South Africa tomorrow at the MCG in front of 90,000 raucous fans.

Tahbee Hassan: "Ireland can definitely make the quarterfinals stage and they probably locked up their quarterfinal berth with that win against West Indies. I see them beating Zimbabwe, UAE and most definitely Pakistan. Pakistan would the odd team out of this tournament. "

Harry: "When was the last time that within a week of the WC starting, we could start imagining two major teams being knocked out before getting to the knockouts? I can somehow sense England and Pakistan not making it through. This match will further dent England's chance if it gets washed out."

Anuj: "Pool A: 1. New Zealand 2. Australia 3. Srilanka 4. Bangladesh Pool B: 1 & 2. India & South Africa...both West Indies and Pakistan could be knocked out by Ireland and Zimbabwe if they don't get their acts together."

4.05 pm: Who do you see making it through to the quarterfinals? Have Ireland done enough to stir up a case? What about the West Indies? They certainly applied themselves better in their tie against Pakistan. Let us know!

4.02 pm: It continues to come down at the Gabba. I'm afraid I can't offer anymore than that at the present moment. We are within 90 minutes now of the final inspection at 5.30pm, with the final call on play to be made at 6.30pm.

3.45 pm: Bevo reckons Bangladesh will be "jumping for joy" at snagging the one point, if that is how it works out. What do you think? Check out our latest episode of Match Point!

Ryan: "@Mark Jackson: The worry for Australia is if they lose a point here and then have a second game washed out (or a tie), even a win over New Zealand would likely see them finish behind the Kiwis in the group (thanks to what should be a superior NRR). If it then worked out that they were to play each other in the semifinals, that would give New Zealand home advantage. Nobody is concerned that a washout is going to cost them a place in the quarters. A lot of water still to go under the bridge yet, but Brisbane looks to be supplying more than enough."

3.30 pm: The rain has persisted, if not gotten stronger. Really not looking promising whatsoever. Still, let us bear our sacrificial gifts in hopes we can appease the cricketing gods into shining some sun our way.

Vishal: "Run machine McCullum looks to be in great touch with the bat and in the field. No wonder his shots can gun down moral of any good pacer this time."

MK: "I like Shapoor Zadran. I am always liked him as a bowler, but he could be a relatively cheap buy for an IPL side, so it is a win for them. He will get some really good experience and can inspire other Afghans to bowl well. Sidenote: What is it with Pakistan and Afghanistan and producing brilliant fast bowlers!"

Richard: "whilst the performances of England were bad, lets put it into context they have faced the toughest 2 teams at home, and should still progress, calling them minnows, when they have soundly beaten India recently is a bit disrespectful. lots to work on though."

Mark Jackson: "I hope England gets kicked out of this competition. This is the weakest England team I've ever seen. I think Bangladesh can beat them. I will not be surprised if Afghanistan or Scotland beats England. Actually Scotland played way better than England against New Zealand and made the kiwis work very hard for their win so Scotland has a great chance of beating England. Australia shouldn't have to worry about getting a point here because they are the clear favorites to win this tournament and they have nothing to prove"

Will: "Want to bring up the Faulkner inclusion: It's got to be Watson out for mind, people don't think Maxwell should bat higher than 6. What about Haddin to move to 5, Maxi 6, Marsh 7, Faulkner 8. Commentators's thoughts? "

nafiz: "We Bangladeshis tend to be emotional and i presume all the gusto about playing today is an emotional reaction. In the cold light of day, the best thing that can happen to Bangladesh is for the game to be rained off, BD to get one point and then hopefully go on to beat Scotland and England/Srilanka and make it to the QF. If the game goes on today we risk having our run rate slashed, batsmen hurt and the overall positive vibe evaporate"

Hafiz: "Things to do in Brisbane in the rain: snorkelling at the Gabba seems possible today."

Daud: "I think Shapoor Zadran's aura alone has already made him a break-out star of this tournament."

Will: "David Miller was a player I really expect some stuff from. Batting in a star-studded lineup, no reason why he can't add to that"

Sajib7070: "We get fewer chance to play against Aussies. We wanna see Mash, Rubel n Taskin pace Vs Johnson, Stark n Marsh pace. Hopefull yet. "

3.12 pm: Andre Russell picks up the Man of the Match as West Indies have crushed Pakistan by 150 runs. Check out our live scorecard here. Still reeling from Pakistan being 1 for 4 at one stage! This is their heaviest World Cup loss as well. They really are struggling in these early matches...

3.10 pm: Who are your picks for the break-out stars of this tournament thus far? Chime in with your thoughts by hitting the "Commentary Feedback" link below! We should also have a fresh update for you folks shortly.

AntiRain: "@Anurag Dhir, The current form England showing, I'm not sure if they lose against a minnow, is it going to be an UPSET at all! Atleast I won't be that surprised if England knocked out of the group stage and Bangladesh go through."

Pradeep Thevar: "Agree with Meta. I am a Bengali and have lived in Australia my whole life, yet support Bangladesh in this as they are the underdogs. My two favourite nations rarely get the chance to meet, and this was one of the games i was looking most forward too. So yes, I wouldn't the game being rained out and increasing Bangladesh's chances to make the next stage, but at the same time really disappointed if it does because won't get this chance again anytime soon, especially at an Australian worldcup."

3.00 pm: Stuck in Brisbane with nothing to do as you wait for the rain to let up? Check out our well-crafted travel site! We have the 411 on all you can do within and just outside this wonderful city. I believe the snorkelling is good at this time of year...

Meta: "If this match is abandoned , Bangladesh will get an easy 1 point. And some could say, Bangladesh should be happy. The truth is, we get a very few chance to play against Australia, south Africa... we do not want this chance to meet Australia get wasted. England being one of three bosses of modern cricket business.... they play more series than other promising countries. "

Brian: "Looking at the radar it seems like the weather is turning around and doing another lap of the Gabba. Doesn't look good at all."

Thisara: "I was watching this radar for a while now... it moves south-east that's right.. but what it also does is rotate... when you think it's passing Brisbane, another side of the storm comes swirling back... now the rain and wind picked up... "

Anurag Dhir: "More than anyone england will be hoping for this match to start asap.. wonder what happens if bangladesh share points from here .. and goes on to make one upset . Though miles to go. you never know.."

George: "Sitting back sipping an amaretto sour in a sweltering Melbourne. Not such a bad afternoon, now just need the cricket!"

2.40 pm: Jarrod Kimber and Andy Zaltzman have been searching through the Twittersphere to get through all your pressing questions and concerns. Our latest episode of #politeenquiries.

The Rock: "@RT: Completely agree with you mate. That will make it fair if all teams have to qualify to play in the world cup. Unfortunately since Ind, Aus, and Eng controls every aspect of cricket now, very little chances of that happening."

George: "If not for associate teams in world cup, fringe nations would never get a chance to impress (and potentially obtain test status). Bangladesh and Ireland both have impressed in previous world cups which led to test nations taking more notice of them and even playing series against them. Afghanistan/ UAE look like two teams with enormous potential but how are they going to continue the rise without the commercial and competitive value of world cup? No chance. "

Zeeshan: "What do I do? I actually wanted to experiment with lifehack by trying to reach 1200 to 2100 overnight in chess rating in like 8 hours thinking I will be rewarded by Bangladesh winning the toss. But my experiment still ongoing and Bangladesh didn't reward me."

RT: "Maybe they could follow a football-like system for qualification. All teams have to compete to qualify."

2.30 pm: Latest from Dan: "Groundstaff continue to work on the advertising signage as the rain has started to ease. Still a fair way to go as we need for it to stop completely, before we drain the ground thereafter.

Oliver Jones: "@David, they had a 16-team World Cup back in 2007. That World Cup's best moment came from one of the Associates, that being a certain Mr Leverock!"

2.22 pm: How do you get past a rain break? Let us know your thoughts and routines!

2.20 pm: While we wait for some good news from the Gabba, now would be as excellent an opportunity as ever to check out our World Cup vignettes section, which earmarks special, match-winning performances over the last few tournaments.

David: "I know it won't happen, but I'd love to see a 16 team world cup. 4 groups of 4, 2 pool games a day-potentially less. Makes the group stage 2-3 weeks shorter, and while yes there might be less competitive early games, you'd be rewarding the leaders of ICC rankings better. Then the quarters would be competitive to a point and the upsets actually have a chance to mean something in the broader context of the tournament beyond proving the Ireland, UAE, Afghanistan et. al. belong."

Vishnu: "Duckworth-Lewis on my fantasy team today :)"

Ben: "I live in Brisbane about 1km from the Gabba. It's pouring here again. Looking at the radar it's swirled around and coming in from the east. I'm not feeling confident...."

Ryan: "I have no issue with reducing the World Cup to 10 teams, provided they give the opportunity for teams outside the test nations to qualify. Perhaps the host and the previous World Cup's semi-finalists should be the only automatic qualifiers. The other 5 or 6 spots should be up for grabs."

The Rock: "Speaking of England. It's so unfair, wrong, and not in the spirit of cricket of how the ICC wants to make the next world cup with only 10 teams. Their justification is they want to make the world cup more competitive between elite members. If that's the rationale, I don't think England and Pakistan belong in the world cup. Considering the performances we are seeing from these two teams. The associates are playing well and even he lower ranked teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe playing competitive cricket in this world. "

2.05 pm: The groundstaff have been working feveirshly to set up the advertising banners in and around the ground. The rain has yet to relent however, but we still have time till that 6.30 pm cut off.

peter: "The BRILLIANT thing about McCullum's leadership is he has pursued an incredible NRR to be prepared for any sort of count back. Could be the difference in deciding who plays their semi at home. (- slightly worried aussie!) "

Michael: "While Southee and McCullum stand out for yesterday's game, I would estimate the Kiwis saved 10 runs by chasing down every ball that threatened the boundary and managed to pull back in time. It sets a platform for excellence in other parts of the game when you see the whole team working to reduce the target they have to chase. If England and others want to lift their games they could learn a thing or two from the NZ fielding effort."

Marc: "Standout has to be NZ. As an Aussie The kiwis are our biggest threat. They demolished Scotland with the ball, stuttered with tha bat then backed it with a faultless all round performance against the English. Brendan McCullum is player of the series to date. "

Sanjiv: "For me England's two big losses have left them in the wilderness. They are at the bottom of the Table with the ugly run rate. Their leftover matches won't be easy either, if they lose one more, one wonders if they can make to the QFs. Well only England knows…but, at this stage, they are definitely sitting on a banana skin! "

Ridwan: "To me, Aaron Finch and Mushfiqur Rahim's fightback at a healthy strike even after the loss of early wickets, were the stand out performances! Hope the match takes place today"

Lee: "Southee's 7-33 is the stand out performance for me, the amount of LATE swing he was able to produce with a WHITE ball in the 30TH over was nothing less that incredible!"

Swapnil M.: "Well..all the matches till now have been pretty one sided, bar a few. eagerly waiting for some nail biting finishes. Hope tomorrow's game gonna be interesting #IndvsSA "

Rabbul: "Many people will tell that Ireland win is the biggest upset but i dont think so. According to me the way Zimbabwe played with SAF and UAE most impressed me. Because 2 months ago they were nowhere with BD Series. I know DAVE WHATMORE has made the changes quickly. "

Sarvesh: "Looking at how Pakistan is struggling against the same West Indies attack that Ireland ripped apart a few days ago, it doesn't bode well for them for the rest of the tournament. For me, Ireland's 300+ plus was a standout performance. Super bowling by Dockrell and intelligent batting by NJ O''Brien at the end to take Ireland home!"

1.35 pm: What have been some of your stand-out performances of the World Cup so far? How about results you did not expect? Let us know your thoughts!

niazsakib@gmail: "i don't want to see that this match reduced into 20 overs,aussies would be more dangerous then!"

1.22 pm: Unfortunately no new updates for you good folks. We have about five hours (6.30 pm local time) for play to begin, so let us be hopeful. Information on the toss will come in as soon as we get it.

1.20 pm: Have you checked out On The Road? We have put together a wonderful fan-based site which allows viewers the world over to treat their World Cup fever as you can provide whatever snaps you have taken from all the action.

RK: "Should play 50 over book cricket , maybe that's better as Clarke would also have no problem with his fitness doing that."

RK: "Bangladesh would be happier not playing the match & taking equal points, this will increase their hopes of getting in QF."

Ankur Pramod: "This is killing me.. With 30 minutes left till deadline, should I or should I not bring in Glenn Maxwell in my Fantasy team?"

gav: "Would have more chance of being able to host alpine skiing here in Brisbane today than cricket"

1.05 pm: Hard to believe Brad Haddin is still knocking about in yellow pajamas at his wise-old age. Here we catch up with the Australian wicket-keeper bat, as he looks ahead to the twilight of his career.

Sam: "@Kris..Its friday night here.. Me and my friends are all set with party stuffs and was expecting a party night with some fabulous #WC2015 moments.. But the Gaba weather & ruthless WI bowlers have equally destroyed whole plan.. Now wondering should we switch to our typical schedule one more time.."

Devilkingmkp: "god please take this downpour to Christchurch ,the Pakistan side needs this more "

12.55 pm: Meet Dene Hills, the man credited with turning around Australia's performance analysis operation when he assumed control back in 2010. He has become a highly-valued member of the Australian team's support staff, and here Brettig catches up with the Tasmanian to find out a little more about what he has managed to accomplish with the gun team.

Sam: "Any chance to move this match to Christchurch? Seems like WI need no more than an hour to finish. "

Devilkingmkp: "i could smell an upset here although Australians are a far more destructive side at home but Bangladesh is all known to be of making big upsets in worldcups"

John: "No chance of a full (50 overs each) game, but every chance of a game nevertheless. I'm hoping the legendary Brisbane ground staff can prepare the ground in time for a start."

12.47 pm: This latest weather report suggests a south-easterly dip in the storm, which is promising. Now it comes down to the effectiveness of the drainage system. Most likely will be a curtailed game, if they can get one in at all.

ModernUmpsPlz: "Actually Oliver, you'd be surprised how many games at the Gabba look like there's been a light drizzle and the outfield is a touch damp but the truth of the matter is there was a 2 day torrential downpour that only ended a couple of hours before play. There was actually a worry that the Gabba's drainage was TOO good, leaving the pitch and outfield a bit too parched if there wasn't any rain because the watering would just go straight through. It sounds crazy but there's a reason they only bother covering the square at the Gabba no matter how rainy. It simply can't stay wet no matter how much water you dump on it."

Ahh, how Fantasy can be a fickle mistress, Pratik: "I removed all my players from Australia and Bangladesh vecause of the possibility of match gettibg abandoned and the news now is that this game might still be on????"

Kris: "Looks like the Pak v WI game is going to have a quick ending. I really hope some play is possible here. Otherwise what am I going to do this Saturday? Let's hope the 'Gabba is as porous as the English batting line up - it'll be dry in no time."

I suspect Harshil got shafted here: "Damn! Now I realise why my friend asked me to get Maxwell in my team!"

12.40 pm: With us waiting for news from the Gabba, how have your carefully calibrated Fantasy teams shaped up so far? Gone with the box-office stars? Or have you managed to use some derivate of Sabermetrics to pick-up on some quality, high-value players? Whatever your method, we have you covered with our newly done-up Fantasy Cricket game, which also allows you the option to draw up a World XI, regardless of player value or nationality restrictions!

Oliver Jones: "Regardless whether the rain stops, I think there's too much standing water. Unless, the Gabba groundstaff have got one huge sponge, the outfield must be utterly saturated"

Thisara: "Rain just stopped, light getting better, and most importantly Gabba is one of the venue that has very quick drying capabilities. Game is certainly on..."

David: "Looking at the weather radar, the bulk of the rain should pass soon after the official game start time. Then it's a question of preparing the ground. My guess is that we'll get a 30-35 over per side game."

12.30 pm: Mohammed Isam, our Bangladesh correspondent, stresses that this Bangladesh squad needs to decide on a set order as they look to battle foreign condition. He saw the tremors in their opening victory against Afghanistan. What do you think?

Riaz Shaikh: "We will be ready to begin this Pool A Match as soon as the pool is filled up with rain. In case, we can't have a match due to windfall, Bangladesh will be happy with their windfall ;-)."

12.20 pm: Despite the weather playing somewhat spoilsport today, both teams have gone ahead with their plans unhindered. This match is also supposed to set the stage for the international return of Michael Clarke, after his back issue stemming from the Australia-India Test series late last year. He will hope to appear in his third World Cup and will be donning the captaincy badge for the first time as well in this prestigious tournament.

Jared sees the lighter side in things: "Brisbane - Still drier than Pallekele"

12.17 pm: Update from Daniel Brettig, who is probably reporting under cover somewhere: "Rain has not abated in Brisbane since the night, although it has eased ever so slightly. Teams have not left their hotel in the central business district.

12.15 pm: Another bumper year of cricket is done and dusted as we commemorate the twelve months gone past with our specially put together, ESPNcricinfo Awards 2014. Our independently-appointed jury, comprised of some of the finest cricketing minds we could get within a taxi car's length, have made their collective decisions. We have honors for the best bowler and batsmen performances for each of the formats. I could tell you who won what, but where would be the fun in that?

Jim: "We're on a survey ship in the Tasman. Hoping for a game, inevitably followed by seasickness once Marcia has finished with Brissie...."

12.10 pm: Don't forget to tune into our analysis show, Match Point, as today we have guests Jonathan Trott and Michael Bevan discussing this crucial second fixture for both sides, and will most likely finish with a topical debate about tropical storms.

Bruce helps to shed some light for the rest of us: "The radar shot is misleading... its moving southeast and looks like it'll clear. Question is how long it'll take to get ready."

Sudip: "Probably the last chance for Watson today with M.marsh already in rythm to fill the allrounder spot and faulkner due to make his world cup mark. "

For you meteorological nerds...

Pretty much sums it up at the moment.

12.00 pm: Cyclones Marcia and Lam might have made their mark on Queensland, but the yellow machine wages on as we are at the Gabba for this match-up against the Bangladeshi warriors. Australia picked up a battering of an opening win in the Ashes teaser against England, where they annihilated them unequivocally in all departments.

A fiery Mitchell pairing, the Maxwell factor, and a top order capable of threatening most world leaders to hover over the red button, Australia certainly looks a fearsome foe.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, have settled their pre-tournament nerves with a resounding victory over newcomers Afghanistan, but their batting certainly looked suspect, especially towards the tail-end of the innings. The bowlers will hope to have hit rhythm as they look to counter the menace from down under.

Shakib and Mushfiqur played their parts beautifully, but the top order didn't seem to have clicked into gear as they perished after making reasonable starts.

Will this Bangladesh squad have just enough to deter the aspirations of this ruthless Australian side? This is Rohan Sharma, and we will have that answer shortly for you with the match commencing at 1.30 pm.

Unfortunately, the chances for a full 50-over game look slim at best, and that is me stretching every ounce of it. The eventual windfall has already cancelled a few key fixtures in and around Brisbane. Both teams have suggested they are preparing as per the expectation of playing a full-on encounter. We will see if the cricketing gods prove more merciful.

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ICC Cricket World Cup

Pool A
TEAMMWLPTNRR
NZ660122.564
AUS64192.257
SL64280.371
BAN63270.136
ENG6244-0.753
AFG6152-1.853
SCOT6060-2.218
Pool B
TEAMMWLPTNRR
IND660121.827
SA64281.707
PAK6428-0.085
WI6336-0.053
IRE6336-0.933
ZIM6152-0.527
UAE6060-2.032
Full Table
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