Australia vs Bangladesh Preview: Bangladesh remains as last side remaining in chase of the big four

The continual improvement in Bangladesh see's them as the last of the chasing pack vying for a finals spot.

Shakib Al Hassan's second straight ton in the tournament helped Bangladesh pull off the second highest successful World Cup run chase to seal a seven-wicket win over the Windies on Monday. The victory kept fifth-placed Bangladesh firmly in the hunt for a semi-final berth ahead of their match against the defending champions Australia. With the top four sides pulling away from the rest of the competition, Bangladesh remain as the only nation that could upset the big four, but they must defeat Australia tonight, as fears of more wash-outs will be obvious to the Tigers. Liton Das and star all-rounder Shakib Al Hassan are the keys to upsetting Australia, though the Australian bowling unit led by Mitch Starc will be wary of their danger. With Australia currently 4-1 in the tournment, two more wins will wrap up a semi-final berth, and with matches against England on Tuesday, and New Zealand the following Saturday, a win against Bangladesh is crucial for them. Scarily for the other sides vying for a semi-final spot, Australia has yet to put a complete performance together, either side of the ball, as they have struggled to complete fantastic starts (or, failed to start and were rescued by Nathan Coulter-Nile against the West Indies), and have bowled poorly in patches. The one constant has been the aura of the Australian side in the field. They have been tight and building pressure through saving runs and taking their chances, and with six players from the successful 2015 campaign, they are still a formidable opponent no matter their form. Unfortunately for the ICC, this match is a pivotal moment in the World Cup, as a victory for Australia will all but wrap up the final four, with 18 matches remaining. With the majority of these matches lacking context or contest, will we see a change to the format for 2023? WATCH OUT FOR - Shaun Marsh

Shaun Marsh has bid his team on the sidelines so far and will be hoping to get valuable time in the middle.

With only four games remaining Australia will be looking to making some changes to the lineup to ensure squad members get match time under their belt. We expect Shaun Marsh to bat at number four for Australia and grab the opportunity with both hands. With Usman Khawaja failing to cement his position Shaun Marsh will be looking to do the opposite was scoring big against Bangladesh. PREDICTION With Bangladesh sitting in fifth position on the table they are possibly the only solid who can challenge the big four and will be looking for A further two points against Australia. With Shakib Al Hassan leading the way for the Bangladeshis it would be impossible to write them off. Australia on the other hand, who are currently a quote first, will be looking to solidify their position on the table. Their failure to put together a full performance up to this point in the tournament should be motivation enough for Australia to get the win in this one.

Australia to win by 30-50 / 2-3 wickets. STATISTICS HEAD TO HEAD ODI Matches: 20 Australia: 18

Bangladesh: 1 N/R: 1

HEAD TO HEAD IN WORLD CUPS

Matches: 2

Australia: 2

Bangladesh: 0

WORLD CUP RECORDS

Australia

Matches: 89

Won: 66

Lost: 21

Tie: 1

Best Result - Winners (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015)

Bangladesh

Matches: 35

Won: 13

Lost: 21

Best Result - Quarter Final (2015)

ODI Record since World Cup 2015: Australia

Matches: 81

Won: 41 Lost: 37

Bangladesh

Matches: 66

Won: 36

Lost: 26