Report

Taskin, Mustafizur set up famous series win for Bangladesh

Aditya Rao · 11/06/2026 · 4 min read

A Historic Triumph in Dhaka

Bangladesh cricket achieved a monumental milestone in Dhaka, securing their first-ever ODI series victory against powerhouse Australia. In a match defined by extraordinary bowling spells, a dramatic middle-order recovery, and a cool-headed chase, the hosts emerged victorious by five wickets. The foundation of this monumental victory was laid early in the day, when Bangladesh’s premier fast bowlers dismantled the Australian top order in a spectacular display of swing and seam bowling.

The Opening Blitz: Australia’s Nightmare at 0 for 3

Winning the toss and bowling first, Bangladesh could not have dreamed of a more perfect start. Taskin Ahmed set the tone with an absolute beauty of a delivery in the very first over. He clean-bowled Matthew Short for a duck, marking the batsman’s third consecutive duck in ODI cricket. Short made the fatal error of leaving a ball that nipped back sharply from a good length, shattering his stumps.

Mustafizur Rahman then joined the party from the other end. In his opening over, he dismissed Cooper Connolly first ball with a delivery that angled away slightly, finding a thin edge through to the keeper. On the very next ball, Matt Renshaw met the same fate, edging another excellent delivery to leave Australia in an unbelievable state of ruin at 0 wickets for 3 runs inside the first two overs. They became only the fourth team in ODI history to suffer such an abysmal start.

The misery continued for the tourists as Mustafizur struck again in the eighth over. Alex Carey was lured into an uppish drive towards point, where Najmul Hossain Shanto took a comfortable catch. This reduced Australia to 25 for 4, marking only the second time in Mustafizur’s illustrious ODI career that he picked up three wickets in the powerplay.

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Labuschagne and Bartlett Lead the Rescue Mission

With the top order completely decimated, skipper Josh Inglis attempted to stabilize the innings. Inglis played some eye-catching strokes, including a gorgeous square-cut six off Nahid Rana, scoring a quickfire 34. However, his counter-attack was cut short when left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam induced a miscue that flew to deep cover. Tanvir then removed Cameron Green with a sharp caught-and-bowled dismissal, leaving Australia reeling at 81 for 6.

What followed was an incredible display of resilience. Marnus Labuschagne, demoted to number seven, anchored the innings alongside Xavier Bartlett. The duo put together a magnificent 103-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Labuschagne survived a run-out chance on 1 and went on to score a vital, unbeaten 55 off 85 deliveries. Bartlett was the primary aggressor, smashing six boundaries and two massive sixes on his way to a brilliant 52 off 48 balls.

Just as Australia threatened to post a massive total, Taskin Ahmed returned to break the stand. He cleaned up Bartlett with a sharp in-ducker and followed it up by bowling Zampa with an off-cutter on the very next delivery. These late breakthroughs proved crucial, as rain interrupted play with Australia at 187 for 8 after 42 overs, leaving Bangladesh with a rain-adjusted target of 192.

The Chase: Shanto and Soumya Lay the Foundation

Bangladesh’s chase began with high drama. Xavier Bartlett, riding high on his half-century, bowled a sensational opening over. After an unsuccessful appeal on the first ball, he dismissed Tanzid Hasan with a simple return catch. Bartlett nearly had Najmul Hossain Shanto on the fifth ball, dropping a tough return chance, and then had an LBW decision overturned via review on the final ball.

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Despite the early scare, Soumya Sarkar, recalled to the side, got the chase underway with some aggressive strokeplay. Soumya targeted Nathan Ellis, hitting consecutive boundaries, while Shanto did the same against Bartlett. Soumya played with freedom, launching Ellis over square leg for a six and Zampa over long-on for another maximum. Shanto, too, enjoyed some luck when he was dropped on 21 by Labuschagne at short midwicket.

The 84-run partnership was eventually broken by part-timer Matt Renshaw, who dismissed Soumya for 42 when a reverse paddle went straight to slip. Shanto followed soon after for 42, caught behind off the returning Riley Meredith. When Cameron Green dismissed Litton Das (21) and Mosaddek Hossain fell cheaply to Cooper Connolly, Bangladesh slipped to a tense 144 for 5.

Hridoy and Mehidy Seal the Historic Series Win

With only the bowlers left to come, the match hung in the balance. However, skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Towhid Hridoy showed immense composure under pressure. Mehidy bravely weathered a painful blow to the head but kept his composure, while Hridoy decided to take the attack to the bowlers. Hridoy smashed Meredith for a six and a four in quick succession, before Mehidy finished the game in style with a magnificent hook shot over the boundary. Hridoy remained unbeaten on 40 as Bangladesh crossed the finish line with five wickets to spare, sparking wild celebrations across Dhaka.

Aditya Rao

Aditya Rao is a senior cricket correspondent for Hindustan Times, known for his unflinching deep dives into the corridors of Indian cricket governance and the forgotten tiers of the domestic game. A graduate of Jamia Millia Islamia and a trained investigative journalist, Aditya brings a policy-level rigour rarely seen on the sports pages. His expertise lies in bridging the gap between the Test match purist and the systemic realities of the modern game—covering everything from Ranji Trophy structural reforms to the economics of player development in India’s hinterlands. He has broken several major stories on administrative overhauls and has profiled dozens of unsung players from India’s age‑group pathways. A recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Award and a trusted voice for accountability in sport, Aditya continues to write with a belief that a robust cricketing culture depends as much on sound governance as it does on a solid cover drive.