Bangladesh created history on Thursday by securing their first-ever One-Day International series win against Australia, defeating the visitors by five wickets in the second ODI in Dhaka to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Chasing a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) revised target of 192 in 41 overs following a lengthy rain interruption, Bangladesh reached 195 for 5 with six overs to spare. Towhid Hridoy remained unbeaten on 40, while captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz provided crucial support with an unbeaten 22 as the hosts completed a memorable victory.
Hridoy, Mehidy Guide Bangladesh Home
Bangladesh’s chase got off to a shaky start after Tanzid Hasan was dismissed in the opening over. However, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar steadied the innings with an 86-run partnership for the second wicket.
Both batters scored 42 runs each before departing in quick succession. Matt Renshaw removed Soumya, while Riley Meredith dismissed Shanto after Australia successfully reviewed the on-field decision.
Litton Das contributed 18 runs and Mosaddek Hossain added 15, but Bangladesh briefly looked vulnerable as wickets fell at regular intervals.
The pressure was eventually absorbed by Towhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who stitched together an unbeaten 51-run partnership to steer Bangladesh to victory and seal a historic series triumph.
Bangladesh Extend Dominant Home Record
The win marked Bangladesh’s fifth consecutive ODI series victory at home, following successful campaigns against Sri Lanka, West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand.
Vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto praised the team’s progress and commitment.
“It’s an amazing feeling. The way we played this series showed a lot of courage. We have been working really hard over the last few months, and the performances in these two matches have been outstanding. I’m really proud to be part of this team,” Shanto said after the match.
Australia Recover From Nightmare Start
Earlier, Australia’s innings got off to a disastrous beginning as they lost three wickets without scoring a run inside the first two overs.
It was only the fourth instance in ODI history that a team lost three wickets before opening its account.
Taskin Ahmed struck first by dismissing opener Matthew Short for a duck. Mustafizur Rahman then removed Cooper Connolly and Matt Renshaw in the following over, leaving Australia reeling at 0 for 3.
Alex Carey was later caught for 13, while spinner Tanvir Islam accounted for captain Josh Inglis (34) and Cameron Green (25) as Australia slumped to 81 for 6.
Labuschagne And Bartlett Rescue Visitors
With Australia in deep trouble, Marnus Labuschagne and Xavier Bartlett launched a remarkable recovery.
The pair added 103 runs for the seventh wicket, reviving the innings and giving the visitors hope of posting a competitive total.
Bartlett scored a valuable 52 before being dismissed by Taskin Ahmed, while Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 55.
Taskin then removed Adam Zampa on the very next delivery, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick as Nathan Ellis survived the next ball.
Australia eventually finished on 187 for 8 in 42 overs before rain brought an early end to their innings.
Australia Reflect On Another Series Defeat
Australian captain Josh Inglis admitted the early collapse proved costly.
“Anytime you lose three wickets that early, it’s always tough to recover. The partnership between Marnus and Xavier was outstanding and helped us get to a score that at least gave us something to bowl at, even though it was probably below par,” Inglis said.
The series defeat is Australia’s second consecutive ODI series loss after their recent 2-1 defeat against Pakistan. The reigning ODI world champions are currently without several key first-choice players, a factor that has affected their performances.
Bangladesh will now look to complete a clean sweep when the two sides meet in the third and final ODI.