What a relief. That's how this dispatch was going to begin. Or so it looked when play was 13 minutes from resuming with Australia needing to face 24 further balls to win. They had escaped thanks to rain on Friday, but were set to just defy a downpour this time around.

Balls may not be the way results are conventionally measured, but Steve Smith's side was so far ahead in this game after bowling out Bangladesh for 182 - coasting to 1-for-83 in reply – that facing the 20 overs required to constitute a game was all that mattered.

Then, to use the local parlance, it chucked it down. In turn, Australia were stranded with a second washout in as many games to begin their Champions Trophy campaign.

In practice, it is likely victory against tournament hosts England would still have been necessary to progress on Saturday. But that doesn't prevent the rule being run over a scenario that all-too-often belies common sense, from park cricket to the pros.

When the rain arrived a final time it was of the callous variety. Yet this was, by a reasonable estimate, some 47 minutes after it had stopped, and only light drizzle annoyed the crowd for the half-hour prior to that.

The drops that fell to remove the players 16 overs into Australia's reply were, according to Smith, "reasonably hard." Fair enough: he had the bat in his hand. But, as he added, it "probably didn't help" that they were due a cup of cordial when covers were called for.

"Of course I didn't want to go off," he continued. "I was happy to keep batting through the rain. But obviously, the umpires are there to make a decision." And the umpires can only operate inside the playing conditions laid out for them once a decision is made to depart.

It's one of the more impenetrable oddities of our game that rain can almost belt down but umpires can elect to stick it out. Yet for covers to be removed, and play to resume, it needs to come to a total halt. "Probably something to take up with the ICC," Smith said. Not wrong.

The captain, who completed a crossword waiting to hear the verdict of officials, also voiced frustration at the ground staff. "They perhaps could have shown a bit more urgency being a big tournament," he said. Understandable angst. But really it is the system that requires scrutiny.

Until the final disruption, Australia lost only Aaron Finch in their chase, trapped leg before for 19. Up the other end, David Warner was back to his productive best in reaching a risk-free 40, while Smith tallied 22 while looking equally at ease.

Earlier, Mitchell Starc responded superbly to the bake his fast bowling quartet received from the skipper following their wayward showing in Birmingham, claiming 4-for-1 in a rapid final spell that decimated the Tigers' lower order and included a triple wicket maiden.

His new ball partner Josh Hazlewood picked up where he left off with six wickets against New Zealand, collecting 1-for-40 from ten immaculate overs after winning an early edge to get Australia going.

Tamim Iqbal should have been his second after a mistimed pull that same over. But he survived then prospered, the classy opener reaching 95 holing out in sight back-to-back centuries.

Australia's bowlers one after the next kept the run rate in check while ensuring all ten wickets would fall as well – a vital time-saving measure with rain never far from the radar.

To that end, Travis Head showed again that he is more than a batsman who bowls, netting 1-for-33 in eight overs. Rarely has a bowler got through his overs quicker, but seldom at the expense of line and length.

Pat Cummins also bounced back, delivering a stingy 1-for-22 at either end of the innings. "Our bowlers were a lot better today," was Smith's assessment. "It was nice that we were able to turn things around."

Back into the XI, Adam Zampa left his mark with a picture-perfect wicket maiden when brought on in the 35th over. Until then, Smith explained, he had no reason to tinker with the good thing he had going. His legspinner will have busier days if they get out of the group.

The dramatic final act of the Bangladesh innings started when Tamim tried to pull Starc over the rope for a century but instead top-edged to Hazlewood. He deserved triple figures, the fine hand acknowledged by a primarily Bengali crowd.

From there the talisman was too quick and too good, hitting Mashrafe Mortaza then Rubel Hossain's woodwork in consecutive balls. A hat-trick was missed by the proverbial coat of varnish but Mehedi Hasan's middle stump went in his next over to end the innings.

"The equation is pretty simple," Smith summed up. "We've just got to beat England." An equation he will be a lot happier with than anything Duckworth-Lewis serves up.