Bangladesh completed a dominant 2-0 series victory over Australia with a convincing 5-wicket win in the rain-affected second ODI at Dhaka. Mustafizur Rahman was the match-winner with the ball, returning a clinical 3/27 to help restrict Australia to 187/8 in 42 overs — a total that, after a DLS recalculation following rain, gave Bangladesh a revised target of 192 in 41 overs. The hosts chased it down with 36 balls to spare at 195/5, riding a solid second-wicket stand between Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto and a composed Towhid Hridoy partnership with Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the death. For Bangladesh, it was a series victory of the highest quality — comprehensive, clinical and deeply satisfying on home soil.

Australia Innings: Labuschagne and Bartlett Rescue, But Rain Curtails

Australia arrived at Dhaka knowing they needed a big performance to save the series, and their innings began in disaster. Four wickets fell in the opening powerplay while scoring just 37 runs — a horror start that put them under immediate and severe pressure, and one that recalled the worst moments of their batting collapse in the first ODI. At drinks Australia were already 51/4 in 13 overs — Inglis on 24 and Cameron Green on 11 — and the innings was teetering on the edge of complete collapse.

Bangladesh's DRS bowling review in over 18.2 for Labuschagne's wicket was struck down, keeping the Australian batter at the crease at a critical moment. Labuschagne and Xavier Bartlett then produced the partnership that gave Australia any hope of a competitive total. Their seventh-wicket stand reached 50 in 55 balls and extended to a magnificent 100 in 111 balls — a partnership of extraordinary character and resilience that transformed the innings from a probable 150 all-out into something approaching competitive.

Bartlett was the more aggressive of the two, bringing up his fifty off 44 balls — 4 fours and 2 sixes — in a cameo of real quality that showed his genuine batting ability at the ODI level. Labuschagne was the anchor, bringing up his fifty off 75 balls — 3 fours — in a grinding, determined innings that showed exactly why he is one of Australia's most valuable middle-order batters in all conditions. A second Bangladesh DRS bowling review for Labuschagne in over 30.3 was struck down on umpire's call — a second reprieve for the batter who continued accumulating.

Australia reached 150 in 32.5 overs and were pushing towards 220 when rain arrived at 187/8 in 42 overs — Labuschagne on 55 and Nathan Ellis on 2. The wet ground delay proved long enough to bring the innings to an end, with 187/8 becoming Australia's final total. The Labuschagne-Bartlett partnership had salvaged Australian pride but not enough runs to make Bangladesh's chase genuinely difficult.

Bangladesh Chase: Shanto, Sarkar and Hridoy Complete the Job

The rain delay triggered a DLS recalculation, reducing Bangladesh's match to 41 overs with a revised target of 192. Bangladesh immediately lost a wicket in the opening over — a review in over 0.6 for Shanto's wicket successfully struck down, keeping their captain at the crease — before Soumya Sarkar and Shanto settled in to build a platform of calm authority.

The powerplay produced 48/1 in 8 overs and the second-wicket stand between Sarkar and Shanto reached 50 in 48 balls as Bangladesh made steady progress towards the target. At drinks they were 72/1 in 12 overs — Sarkar on 34 and Shanto on 33 — the chase proceeding at exactly the required rate with none of the drama that had briefly threatened in the first over.

Bangladesh crossed 100 in 18.2 overs and at the second drinks break were 122/4 in 23.2 overs — a few wickets had fallen in the middle phase as Australia's bowlers tried to stem the tide, but Bangladesh were never under serious pressure. The 150-run mark arrived in 28.4 overs and Towhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz then combined in the final powerplay in a 50-run sixth-wicket stand in 49 balls — the partnership that sealed the series in the most comfortable fashion. Bangladesh crossed the target at 195/5 in 35 overs — winning by 5 wickets with 36 balls remaining under DLS.

Mustafizur Rahman's 3/27 was the decisive bowling performance of the match — his cutters, pace variations and relentless accuracy had dismantled Australia's top order in the powerplay and returned to claim further wickets through the middle, earning him a well-deserved Player of the Match award and confirming his status as Bangladesh's most consistent death-over weapon.

A Series to Celebrate for Bangladesh

Bangladesh's 2-0 series victory over Australia is one of the most significant home series wins in recent Bangladeshi ODI history. Mosaddek Hossain's extraordinary all-round performance in the first match, combined with Mustafizur's clinical bowling in the second, showcased the full depth of Bangladesh's ODI capabilities on home soil. Tanzid Hasan, Shanto and Hridoy contributed consistently with the bat across both matches, while the bowling department took wickets at crucial moments throughout the series.

For Australia — without several key players — this was a chastening tour that highlighted the continuing challenges of playing ODI cricket in the subcontinent. Labuschagne and Bartlett's century stand in the second match was the one bright spot of an otherwise difficult series.

Key Moments

  • Australia's catastrophic 37/4 powerplay — four wickets in the first 10 overs — ended any chance of a genuinely competitive total.
  • The Labuschagne-Bartlett 100-run seventh-wicket partnership in 111 balls was Australia's finest batting passage of the entire series.
  • Bartlett's 50 off 44 balls was the most exciting Australian batting contribution across both matches.
  • Mustafizur Rahman's 3/27 dismantled Australia's top order and earned him a richly deserved Player of the Match.
  • Bangladesh's successful DRS batting review for Shanto in over 0.6 was the crucial early turning point of the chase.
  • The Hridoy-Miraz 50-run sixth-wicket stand in 49 balls sealed the series with minimum fuss.