Big Picture: Bangladesh aim for 3-0
Winning their first ODI against Australia after 21 years and then winning their maiden ODI series against them is probably not going to quench Bangladesh. They will look to make it 3-0 when the two sides meet in the third ODI on Sunday. It would have been an improbable notion even a few months ago, but the home side has certainly become an improved side.
Bangladesh overcame couple of tight corners to win by five wickets in the second ODI on Thursday. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar put together a strong partnership, 86 runs for the second wicket, after they lost Tanzid Hasan in the first over. Later when they lost five wickets, Tawhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz calmly took them home with 38 runs remaining in the 192-run target.
Form guide
Bangladesh WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LLLWL
Australia’s top-order batting hasn’t lasted for long enough to pass a judgment on their form. The middle-order has also been underwhelming; they moved Marnus Labuschagne to No. 7 in the previous game, where he finally made a half-century after 14 innings. Xavier Bartlett helped out with the bat in the second game too, reaching his maiden half-century.
In the spotlight: Taskin Ahmed and Xavier Bartlett
Bangladesh are getting the full service from Taskin Ahmed as he is utilizing both the new and old ball in the ODI series against Australia. Taskin has had Matthew Short’s number in the first over of both matches, as he has used the seam movement available due to the 11am start. He has also come back well with the old ball, which he puts down to the long spells with the old red ball in the Test series against Pakistan.
Team news: A chance for the benchwarmers?
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Tawhid Hridoy, 5 Litton Das (wk), 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Nahid Rana/Shoriful Islam
Australia (probable): 1 Matt Short, 2 Cooper Connolly, 3 Josh Inglis (capt & wk), 4 Matt Renshaw, 5 Alex Carey, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Marnus Labuschagne, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Riley Meredith, 11 Adam Zampa
A 3-0 series win will be marked as an iconic moment in Bangladesh cricket, mainly because of how the team is reviving itself after couple of years of poor performances. It will also be hailed as the win is achieved on a sporting wicket. As Taskin said after the second ODI, they are no longer playing on a ‘paddy field’.
Stats and trivia
- Xavier Bartlett is Australia’s first batter at No 8 and below to score a fifty against Bangladesh.
- Mustafizur Rahman took three wickets in the first powerplay in the second ODI, which was only the second time in his career.
