Bangladesh National Cricket Team skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz labelled the ODI series home victory over Australia National Cricket Team as a historical feat for his nation even after losing the final game by just 21 runs.
The series was a huge advancement for Bangladesh who had been on the wrong end of the 50-over format whilst facing Australia for over twenty years. Prior to this match Bangladesh has only beaten the Australians in 3 of their 25 ODIs. At home, it was even harder, with the team having to wait another 21 years for its second ODI victory over the cricketing powerhouse.
Bangladesh finally broke that long wait and they did so in style, winning by a handsome margin of 86 runs in the first encounter of the recently-concluded three-match series. Not only did the win set the hosts to a great start in their opening match, but it will also give them confidence in the fixtures ahead.
The second ODI saw Bangladesh creating history. They showed poise under pressure to beat the Australia by five wickets (DLS method) and win their first bilateral ODI series against the visitors. It has been lauded as a step forward for a team that has gradually established itself internationally.
Bangladesh came into the final ODI with a 2-0 lead and eyeing complete domination, but Australia had other ideas. The final match was a dramatic thriller, swinging both ways during the chase before going down to the wire as each team traded punches. It was a closely fought game where Bangladesh pushed the visitors until the last moment but, in the end, Australia snatched a nail-biting one-wicket victory.
Even though the series would end without a clean sweep, the result was of course still historic for Bangladesh. With Australia being a world class team and Bangladesh having never defeated full strength Australian over their recent history in ODI cricket, Mehidy said the series win was significant.
The win is yet another significant milestone for Bangladesh cricket and the strides the team has made over the last few years. Though losing out in the final game was disappointing, the series win will not only remain a defining achievement, but also one that continued to prove Bangladesh could mix it at the level of the world’s leading cricket nations.
Read More: https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/mehidy-hasan-miraz-629063
