Dhaka, Aug 3: Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed claimed a career-best 4-19 as Bangladesh successfully defended a moderate 131-7 and beat Australia by 23 runs in the first of their five Twenty20s on Tuesday.
Australia was bowled out for 108 in 20 overs, it's lowest total against Bangladesh in the shortest format.
Left-arm pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam took two wickets apiece to complement Nasum and secure Bangladesh's first victory against Australia in five encounters.
Failing to deal with the spinners cost Australia.
Shakib Al Hasan, another left-arm spinner, and offspinner Mahedi Hasan also played their part, taking a wicket each.
Mitchell Marsh, who struck three half-centuries in five matches against the West Indies, was the only Australian to sustain any resistance. He made a run-a-ball 45 before being sixth man out.
The combination of Nasum, Shakib and Mahedi reduced Australia to 11-3 in the third over.
Mahedi broke through with the first ball to dismiss Alex Carey, Nasum got Josh Philippe stumped for 9, and Shakib accounted for Moises Henriques before Marsh got going.
With Shakib and Mahedi denying Australia a flow of runs, Nasum ripped through the middle order in a gem of spin bowling.
Marsh kept the visitors' hopes alive with calculated aggression, and his confidence grew after hitting Shakib for six. Marsh was undone in Nasum's last over when he went for a slog-sweep, and Australia's chances effectively went with him.
Made to bat first, Shakib top-scored for Bangladesh with 36 off 33, and opener Mohammad Naim struck a 29-ball 30, clobbering two fours and as many sixes. Afif Hossain added an unbeaten 23 off 16.
Naim flicked Australia speedster Mitchell Starc for a six over midwicket with a cracking shot in the second ball of the innings.
Starc's new ball partner, Josh Hazlewood, broke through with the wicket of Soumya Sarkar on 2, and Naim was removed by legspinner Adam Zampa.
Shakib and captain Mahmudullah played with caution but failed to rotate the scoreboard rapidly.
Hazlewood (3-24) broke the partnership, dismissing Mahmudullah for 20 with a knuckle ball.
Hazlewood also took the crucial wicket of Shakib when he appeared set to pace the scoreboard.
Starc got a couple of tailenders but Afif Hossain held up one end to help the side go past 130.
The second match is on Wednesday.
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In an impassioned plea, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt, the wife of former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, has denounced what she terms as an "illegal" and "unlawful" conviction handed down to her husband by the Palanpur Sessions court in Gujarat. Sanjiv Bhatt, already serving a life sentence in a separate case, was sentenced to an additional 20 years in jail in connection with a 1996 case involving the planting of drugs to frame a Rajasthan-based lawyer.
Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt took to social media platform X to express her outrage at the court's decision, decrying it as a gross miscarriage of justice. In her post, she alleged that the judiciary, represented by "Justice" J.N. Thakkar, had delivered a verdict riddled with illegality and falsehoods. She asserted that her husband had been falsely implicated in a fabricated case that dates back nearly three decades.
The crux of Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt's argument lies in the court's ruling that the 20-year sentence handed to her husband would not run concurrently with his existing life imprisonment term. Instead, the court ordered that the 20-year sentence would commence only after the completion of the life imprisonment term, effectively ensuring that her husband would spend a considerable portion of his life behind bars.
Furthermore, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt lamented that the time her husband had already spent as an under-trial during the prolonged legal proceedings would not be counted towards his sentence. This, she contended, amounted to a flagrant violation of legal principles and a denial of basic human rights.
"Justice" J.N. Thakkar today pronounced an unlawful conviction of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment NOT CONCURRENT to the Life Imprisonment sentence along with a fine of 5 lakh rupees. Which means, the 5.5 years spent as an under-trial in this case while the prosecution maliciously dragged the fabricated case on and on will not be counted towards the 20 years of imprisonment or the unlawful Life imprisonment sentence… In fact, in a gross departure from legal principles, as per the judgement pronounced by J.N. Thakkar, the 20 years of imprisonment are to start and counted after the completion of the Life Imprisonment sentence. THE REGIME WANTS TO PUNISH SANJIV BHATT TO DEATH AND THEN PUNISH HIM BEYOND DEATH FOR A CRIME HE DID NOT COMMIT!!!” Shweta’s post read.
In her plea, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt accused the ruling regime of orchestrating a campaign to silence her husband, whom she portrayed as a fearless advocate for truth and justice. She asserted that the relentless persecution faced by Sanjiv Bhatt over the past two decades was a testament to the threat his truth posed to those in power.
“Just when you think the regime and their bootlickers cannot stoop any lower, they fall further down to unimaginable lows! Not only is this an absolute mockery of the judiciary and blatant abuse of power but it stands against every legal tenant of jurisprudence! This is the heavy and cruel price Sanjiv Bhatt is paying for standing up for what is right while the very society he sacrificed his everything to protect remains silent and watches on as mute spectators. This is the price Sanjiv Bhatt is paying for your continued silence and apathy …” Shweta wrote in her tweet.
“Dangerous examples continue to be made of Sanjiv Bhatt as the regime continues to leave no stone unturned to prosecute and target him, so much so that they are using any and every desperate means, to discredit Sanjiv and ensure he spends his life languishing in jail. The regime has targeted and persecuted Sanjiv Bhatt relentlessly for the last 2 decades, which is testimony to the colossal threat Sanjiv’s truth poses to this regime. The misuse of the judiciary and abuse of power is only indicative of how desperate the regime is to silence Sanjiv at any cost!” she added.
Drawing attention to what she perceives as a broader erosion of democratic values and the rule of law, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt called upon society to rally behind her husband and denounce the injustice being meted out to him. She urged individuals to speak out against what she described as a "declaration of war against truth" and to stand in solidarity against tyranny and oppression.
“You failed to protect your defenders; will another defender ever stand up to defend you in the future!? The regime and its lackeys, intoxicated by power and fuelled by malice, are determined to crush dissent, to silence the voices that dare to speak out against their tyranny. Let us rise, not in anger, but in solidarity. Let us raise our voices, not in hatred, but in unwavering determination. Let us fight, for Sanjiv Bhatt … against the injustice meted out to him! This isn't just injustice; this is a declaration of war against truth, against righteousness, against the very essence of humanity!!” she further added.
This is Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt,
— Sanjiv Bhatt (IPS) (@sanjivbhatt) March 28, 2024
Today, on 28th March 2024, the “Justice” J.N. Thakkar of the Palanpur Sessions court illegally and falsely convicted Sanjiv Bhatt in a 28-year-old fabricated case.
"Justice" J.N. Thakkar today pronounced an unlawful conviction of 20 years of… pic.twitter.com/CU9EamCZCo