Bangladesh beat Australia by 86 runs in the ODI series opener in Dhaka on Tuesday, and the win moved them 1-0 up in the three-match series after lightning cut short the chase. Australia were still in the hunt, needing 94 runs from 46 balls with 7.4 overs left, when the match was called off under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
For Bangladesh, it was a result that landed with real force because it was their first ODI victory over Australia in 21 years and only their second in the men's 50-over format against the tourists. The home side had posted 8-284, then watched the pressure turn when Nahid Rana went through Australia’s middle and lower order in a burst that returned 4-41 and included speeds above 150kph. The fast bowler’s second spell came after Australia had looked well placed in the chase, and it was the collapse that followed, not the weather, that had already put the game beyond them.
Mosaddek Hossain gave Bangladesh the platform they needed with 86 not out and also claimed two wickets, while Nathan Ellis led Australia’s attack with 3-38. Cameron Green finished unbeaten on 52, but Australia could never fully recover after losing early wickets and then failing to build a decisive partnership. Josh Inglis admitted afterward that the side had let the game drift, saying the total was disappointing, the fielding cost them chances, and the chase would have looked manageable with a target around 230 to 240.
The absence of Mitch Marsh for a second straight series because of an ankle injury picked up in the IPL only added to Australia’s problems, but the bigger issue was how Bangladesh kept control once Rana arrived with pace and purpose. This was the opening match of a three-game series, and Bangladesh did more than take a lead; they forced Australia to start over in a contest that already carries the weight of history. The next game now has the feel of a response test for Australia and a chance for Bangladesh to turn one landmark into something far harder to shake.
