With their tournament already over, Australia have been set 160 to win their dead rubber against India and get on the board in the World Twenty20.
After opening the group stage with losses to Pakistan and the West Indies, Australia were eliminated from the tournament before a ball was bowled in their clash with India in Dhaka.
Pakistan’s victory over Bangladesh, in the match that immediately preceded the Australia-India fixture, removed even the slim mathematical possibility of George Bailey’s men advancing to the semi-finals.
To save a bit of face, they have a reasonable chase on their hands after India finished 7-159 thanks to a whirlwind 60 off 43 to Yuvraj Singh and his 84-run partnership with captain MS Dhoni (24).
With nothing to lose, or gain, Australia threw a couple of early curve balls by including Cameron White for his first match of the tournament, in place of allrounder James Faulkner, before opening the bowling with part-time offspinner Brad Hodge.
The tricky tactics were effective, however, with Hodge claiming the wicket of Rohit Sharma (5) in the first over.
Despite possessing some of the world’s most destructive batsmen, and entering the clash on the back of three comprehensive victories, India’s innings never looked like reaching any great heights until Yuvraj and Dhoni came together to lift the run rate.
Impressive young legspinner James Muirhead (1-24) added another big scalp to his collection, dismissing Virat Kohli (23) with just his second ball – having removed West Indian power-hitter Chris Gayle on Friday.
He was taught a lesson in humility soon after though as Yuvraj sent him high into the stands with consecutive monster sixes.
Muirhead, Hodge, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson, Doug Bollinger and Glenn Maxwell all took one wicket each, while Watson also affected a runout in the last over.