Australia lose an ODI series to Bangladesh for the first time after horror collapse
Updated ,first published
Australia lost the one-day international series to Bangladesh after failing to recover top spot after an embarrassing 3-0 start in the second ODI in Dhaka.
On an excellent pitch by Tony Hemming, a former member of the MCG fielding staff, Tigers’ new-ball pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman got rid of Matt Short (his third successive ODI duck), Cooper Connolly and Matt Renshaw before opening Australia’s account with a no-ball.
Interim skipper Josh Inglis and fellow wicketkeeper Alex Carey added 25 points before Carey bent a short ball straight back to snub the visitors’ lowest shot completion against Bangladesh.
The current low is 5-198 from 50 overs in 2008, while Australia were restricted to 9-191 in the opening match of this series before rain curtailed their innings to a thumping defeat.
Coincidentally, Bangladesh had the lowest score of 14 in matches played between the two countries before Thursday’s match.
Short bent his arms to shoulder a ball coming towards him, before Connolly and Renshaw brushed aside shots that had drifted just wide of them.
Inglis was eventually bowled out for 34, while Cameron Green scored 25 while fast bowler Xavier Bartlett eclipsed most of the batsmen with 52 from 48 deliveries. Australia were ahead 8-187 when there was a rain delay with eight overs to go, leaving Marnus Labuschagne (55) and Nathan Ellis (2) behind.
There was nothing more threatening about the wicket than anyone could have expected in the early stages of a 50-over game.
Bangladesh posted 8-284 to bat first on a similar pitch in their 86-run victory in match one.
Australia had left out all-rounder Liam Scott after the first match, calling up pace bowler Riley Meredith from outside the initially selected squad and giving Marnus Labuschagne another chance at No.7.
Setting a target of 192 in their revised 41 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, Bangladesh escaped an early defeat as Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto kept the innings steady with identical innings of 42.
Following their departure, Mehidi Hasan Miraz supported the chase with the skipper’s innings and held on tight as wickets fell at the other end. He found support from Towhid Hridoy and the duo took Bangladesh home in 35 overs.
The result gave Bangladesh their first ODI series win against the six-time world champions.
With agencies
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Daniel Brettig is The Age’s chief cricket writer and the author of many books on cricket.Connect with: X.
