Bangladesh have made cricketing history by securing their first-ever One-Day International (ODI) series victory against Australia. The hosts clinched the series with a commanding five-wicket win in the second match held in Mirpur, putting them in an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game contest.
This landmark achievement follows Bangladesh's first ODI win against Australia in 21 years, which occurred in the opening match of this series. Prior to these victories, Bangladesh had lost all four of their previous ODI series against the six-time World Cup winners by a 3-0 margin. Their only other previous individual match victory against Australia in the 50-over format was in a tri-series involving England back in 2005. This ODI series success adds to their T20 triumph over Australia in 2021.
In the rain-affected second encounter, Australia posted 187-8 from 42 overs. Their innings saw a dramatic start, being reduced to 0-3 inside two overs, a rare occurrence in men's ODIs. Stand-in captain Josh Inglis contributed 34, while Marnus Labuschagne anchored the innings with an unbeaten 55, sharing a crucial 103-run seventh-wicket stand with Xavier Bartlett, who made 52. However, late wickets and rain meant Bangladesh were set a revised target of 192 runs from 41 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
Bangladesh's chase began shakily with opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim falling for a duck. However, a strong 86-run partnership between Soumya Sarkar (42) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (41) stabilised the innings. Despite both falling in quick succession, Tawhid Hridoy (40 not out) and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (22 not out) guided their team to victory with six overs to spare. Mehidy showed resilience, continuing to bat despite requiring treatment after being hit by a bouncer.
Australia entered the series without several key players, including Mitch Marsh, Travis Head, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. Their depleted squad faced a spirited Bangladesh side determined to make history on home soil. The final match of the series is scheduled for Sunday in Mirpur.