Preview by AkshayaKrishna Polya
Every time Bangladesh stepped onto the field in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Australia, history was created. They won the rain-hit first ODI by 86 runs under the DLS method, and it was the first time they defeated the Aussies in the format at home. They won the rain-curtailed second ODI by five wickets under the DLS method, and it was the first time they beat the World Champions in an ODI series.
We know that Bangla are dominant at home, but this is more than just dominance. As one of their fast bowlers, Taskin Ahmed said, 'Not a paddy field anymore.' 'They are playing on good wickets, and they are beating a good team. It's a great achievement,' he concluded.
Yes, the Kangaroos aren't at their full strength, but still, a prey is a prey for the Tigers!
Heading into the third and final ODI of the series at the same venue (Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka) on Sunday (June 14), Bangladesh will aim to script more history by whitewashing the tourists, while Australia will look to avoid the embarrassment.
The biggest question is whether skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz will play. He was hit on the helmet by a Nathan Ellis bouncer in the 34th over of Bangladesh's innings. He vomited in the middle, and a stretcher was also brought in while the physio was treating him under the concussion protocols. However, the all-rounder took some time to get back to normal before continuing his knock and finishing the game on Thursday, but didn't attend the post-match ceremony as he was taken to the nearby hospital. He was discharged from the hospital after it was found that he was out of danger on Friday.
In case Mehidy is told to rest, then Najmul Hossain Shanto is expected to be the stand-in skipper.
It was Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Shanto's fifties that set the tone for Bangladesh in the first ODI before Australia came back in the middle overs by picking up regular wickets courtesy of Ellis and Matt Renshaw. Mosaddek Hossain, returning to the ODI circuit after 4 years, played one of his best knocks ever to rescue the side from a double collapse. The all-rounder slammed an unbeaten 70-ball 86, propelling the hosts to 284/8 after being asked to bat first.
Taskin Ahmed set the tone with a first-ball wicket to dismiss Matt Short for another duck. Mustafizur Rahman followed suit to strike in the second over of the chase. Wickets continued to tumble for the tourists, with Nahid Rana running through the Aussie lineup with sheer pace and accuracy and Mosaddek bowling a tidy spell. Alex Carey and Cameron Green's resistance didn't help Australia much, as they were at 191/9 in 42.2 overs when the rain forced the match officials to decide the result under the DLS method.
Australia made a late call to bring in Riley Meredith not only to their squad but also to the playing XI for the must-win second ODI. The coin fell again in favour of Australia, and Josh Inglis opted to bat first this time around. However, the fate remained the same. In fact, their fate was even worse this time as Taskin and the Fizz got rid of their top order in the blink of an eye. Short's torrid time with the bat continued as he bagged a hat-trick of ducks, with Cooper Connolly and Renshaw joining him in the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Who would have believed that Australia would be three down for nought, a rare instance happened only thrice before in the ODI history!
The reigning World Champions were reeling at 81/6, and it was thought that they would fall away under 100 at one stage, but thanks to a brilliant rescue operation from Marnus Labuschagne and Xavier Bartlett, they managed to score 187/8 in 42 overs before the rain forced the innings to be cut short. Marnus badly needed some runs, and he scored an unbeaten 55 off 85 balls, while Bartlett counter-attacked with a half-century, too. Nahid Rana's magic didn't work this time around, but the damage from Taskin, Mustafizur and Tanvir Islam was more than enough.
Like Australia, Bangladesh also lost a wicket in the first over with nothing on the board. Tanzid Hasan couldn't survive against Bartlett, but Soumya Sarkar and Shanto took the responsibility to rebuild. Both scored in the 40s and helped the Tigers recover from a precarious position. Litton Das bagged another low score, while Mosaddek didn't have the same game as he had in the series opener. With the target being an easy one, Towhid Hridoy held an end up, getting good support from his skipper Mehidy, as Bangladesh made light work of the run chase.
Bangladesh are unlikely to change much unless Mehidy Hasan Miraz is unfit to play. On the other hand, Australia, who need their top order and their bowlers to step up in the absence of a few key players, might make a couple of changes, with the likes of Matthew Kuhnemann, Ben Dwarshuis, Oliver Peake and Todd Murphy on the bench.
Having already lost consecutive ODI series in the subcontinent within a month, can Australia come back from the slump and avoid a devastating whitewash? To know, join us at 9:30 AM IST, 10 AM Local Time, on Sunday for its live coverage!