Bangladesh secured a landmark ODI series victory over Australia for the first time in their history after cruising to a five-wicket win in the rain-affected second match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
The victory gave Bangladesh an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and marked one of the most significant achievements in the country's ODI history against the five-time world champions.
After being asked to bat, Australia were rocked by Bangladesh's pace attack and slumped to 3-0 inside two overs. Taskin Ahmed removed Matthew Short and Xavier Bartlett, while Mustafizur Rahman dismissed Cooper Connolly and Matt Renshaw as the visitors' top order crumbled.
Captain Josh Inglis attempted a recovery with 34, while Cameron Green added 25, but Australia remained under pressure at 81-6.
A spirited seventh-wicket partnership between Marnus Labuschagne and Xavier Bartlett rescued the innings. Labuschagne struck a patient unbeaten 55 off 85 balls and Bartlett made a counterattacking 52 from 48 deliveries as the pair added 103 runs.
However, Bangladesh struck late to prevent a stronger finish. Taskin returned to dismiss Bartlett and Adam Zampa in successive deliveries, helping restrict Australia to 187-8 in 42 overs before rain interrupted play.
Taskin and Mustafizur shared six wickets, claiming three apiece, while left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam chipped in with two wickets. Bangladesh's disciplined bowling and sharp fielding ensured Australia never fully recovered from their disastrous start.
Following the rain delay, Bangladesh were set a revised target of 192 from 41 overs under the DLS method.
The chase began poorly when Tanzid Hasan fell in the opening over, but Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto steadied the innings with a fluent 85-run partnership for the second wicket. Both batters scored 42, laying the foundation for the pursuit.
Although Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals during the middle overs, the required rate remained firmly under control. Litton Das contributed a brisk 21 before Towhid Hridoy anchored the chase with an unbeaten 40 from 55 balls.
Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz provided valuable support with an unbeaten 22, and the pair guided Bangladesh home at 195-5 in 35 overs, with six overs and five wickets to spare.
Australia's bowlers struggled to create sustained pressure as Bangladesh paced the chase intelligently despite losing a few wickets after reaching 100.
The victory is particularly significant because Australia have traditionally dominated the rivalry. Bangladesh had beaten Australia in isolated matches before, including memorable World Cup encounters and a home ODI series in 2005, but had never secured a bilateral ODI series against them.
The Tigers' success was built on a complete team performance. Their bowlers seized control from the outset, reducing Australia to 3-0 and later 81-6, while the batting unit responded calmly to finish the job.
With the series already secured, Bangladesh will now aim for a clean sweep in the final ODI, while Australia face the prospect of ending their tour without a single victory in the 50-over format.
For Bangladesh, however, Thursday's triumph will be remembered as a historic milestone �" a long-awaited series victory over one of world cricket's most successful teams.
