Bangladesh may have expected to be here but very few -- not least the Australians themselves -- would have thought that the top-ranked ODI team and second-ranked Test team would be fighting it out with Bangladesh for nothing more than some crumbs of comfort to show for their entire World Twenty20 campaign.
Bangladesh and Australia are the only two teams in the Super 10 stage to not have a win to their name yet, and one suspects that the status of Australia will see them more desperate to end an unexpectedly torrid campaign on a high.
"Look, we have to be motivated. I don't like losing, as a team we don't like losing," said Australia all-rounder Shane Watson after their 73-run hammering at the hands of India -- their third successive loss -- on Sunday.
"It certainly has been a long summer, a never-ending summer but it doesn't mean that we should ever take the foot off the pedal. Playing cricket for your country in a World Cup, whatever format, is a huge honour. There are certainly going to be a lot of people with damaged pride, especially after tonight. We will be ready to go to try and finish the tournament how we should have started it really."
The Bangladesh team will remember Watson as the batsman who creamed a then ODI record 15 sixes in a match against the home side in 2011, at the very stadium they will face off today. "My performance has been certainly nowhere near what I was hoping for. I know personally I have a lot to prove and I know everyone else will be feeling exactly the same," said the burly all-rounder.
After the India game, Australia skipper George Bailey said something that, while it showed how much the results hurt the proud team, may give Bangladesh extra motivation. "Without being disrespectful to Bangladesh it would have been a shock to us if Bangladesh had beaten Pakistan [and kept Australia's hopes of advancement alive', so we weren't arriving here expecting miracles."