Bangladesh make history as ruthless bowlers seal first-ever ODI series win over Australia

Bangladesh wrote a glorious new chapter in their cricketing history on Thursday, sealing a first-ever ODI series triumph over Australia with a five-wicket win in the rain-affected second match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

The victory, secured via the DLS method in pursuit of an adjusted target of 192, handed the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series against the reigning fifty-over world champions.

It was a triumph built on a devastating opening burst from the bowlers, who reduced Australia to a scarcely believable nought for three inside the first two overs.

A Start for the Ages

The tone of the match was set in a frantic opening passage that will live long in Mirpur folklore.

Taskin Ahmed struck in the very first over to remove Matt Short, before Mustafizur Rahman produced a sensational wicket-maiden in the second.

The left-armer accounted for Cooper Connolly and Matt Renshaw, both dismissed for ducks as late movement outside off stump drew edges through to wicketkeeper Litton Das.

Three Down Without a Run

Australia's scoreboard told a remarkable story: three wickets gone before a single run had been scored.

The collapse left the visitors' top order in ruins and captain Josh Inglis facing an enormous rescue mission.

By the tenth over, four of Australia's frontline batters were back in the pavilion as the hosts' attack hunted in a pack.

Green Falls as the Squeeze Continues

Cameron Green attempted to drag his side out of trouble with a watchful innings.

His patient 25 from 50 deliveries ended when he spooned a return catch to left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam, leaving Australia in deep trouble at 81 for six.

It was Tanvir's second strike of the innings, rewarding another disciplined spell of slow bowling.

Bartlett Leads a Spirited Fightback

To their credit, Australia refused to fold completely.

Marnus Labuschagne, the last recognised batter, found an unlikely ally in paceman Xavier Bartlett, who counterattacked superbly on his way to 52 from 48 balls.

Their defiant stand dragged the visitors to a total that at least gave their bowlers something to defend.

Rain Reshapes the Contest

The Mirpur weather then intervened, as it had in the series opener.

Heavy rain saturated the outfield and forced a lengthy delay, ultimately shortening the contest.

When play resumed, Bangladesh were set a revised target of 192 under the DLS calculations.

Soumya and Shanto Light Up the Chase

The chase was illuminated by a thrilling second-wicket stand between two of Bangladesh's seasoned left-handers.

Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto traded boundaries in an entertaining partnership of 86 that delighted the home crowd.

Soumya eventually fell to a poorly executed reverse paddle, offering Bartlett a simple catch at slip, before Shanto was caught behind off Riley Meredith, the quick returning to the ODI side after five years away.

A Late Wobble

Australia briefly threatened to claw their way back into the contest.

Cameron Green removed Litton Das with a vicious lifter that took the glove after a brisk 21, and first-match hero Mosaddek Hossain holed out to long-off after a typically aggressive cameo.

At 144 for five, with only the bowlers to come, the door was still ajar for the visitors.

Hridoy and a Brave Captain Finish the Job

Any Australian hopes were extinguished by a gutsy unbroken stand between Towhid Hridoy and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Mehidy shrugged off a blow to the side of the head to stand firm alongside his in-form partner as the chase tightened.

The finish came in a rush of big shots: Hridoy hooked Meredith for six and pulled the next ball for four, before Mehidy sealed the historic win with another hook that cleared the rope.

A First in More Than Three Decades

The significance of the result is hard to overstate.

This is Bangladesh's first men's ODI series victory over Australia, who had swept each of the previous four bilateral contests between the sides 3-0.

Coming in the first bilateral one-day series between the teams in 15 years, the Tigers seized their moment in emphatic style.

Back-to-Back Statements

The series win was founded on an equally famous result in the opening match.

Mosaddek Hossain's unbeaten 86 and Nahid Rana's hostile pace had powered Bangladesh to an 86-run win on DLS, their first victory over Australia in 21 years.

By following it up immediately, the hosts proved the opener was no fluke.

A Team on the Rise

The triumph extends a golden run for Bangladesh in the fifty-over format.

The side has now won four consecutive ODI series, echoing the famous streaks enjoyed by previous generations of Tigers teams.

Combined with notable recent Test successes, it points to a group growing in belief and depth across formats.

Australia's Slump Deepens

For Australia, the defeat compounds a miserable run in subcontinent conditions.

The world champions have now lost three one-day matches in a row on tour, following their recent series setback in Pakistan.

Their captain conceded that losing three early wickets made recovery almost impossible and acknowledged that Bangladesh had outplayed his side across the series.

The Board Joins the Celebrations

The scale of the achievement was reflected in the jubilant reaction back home.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board hailed the result as an unforgettable victory, celebrating the Tigers roaring loud on home soil.

Supporters who packed Mirpur will remember the night the world champions were toppled twice in a week.

One More to Play

With the series secured, attention turns to the final one-day match before the action shifts to the Twenty20 leg of the tour.

Bangladesh will chase a famous clean sweep, while Australia must salvage pride and momentum.

Whatever happens, the series will be remembered as the week Bangladesh announced themselves against the very best.

Key Match Numbers

• Result: Bangladesh won by 5 wickets (DLS method)
• Series: Bangladesh lead 2-0 — their first-ever ODI series win over Australia
• The Collapse: Australia 0 for 3 inside two overs
• New-Ball Heroes: Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman
• Australia's Resistance: Xavier Bartlett 52 off 48
• The Finishers: Towhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, chasing a revised 192

Final Word

Bangladesh's first ODI series win over Australia is a landmark moment that has been years in the making.

From the new-ball brilliance of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman to the nerveless finishing of Towhid Hridoy and a brave captain, this was a victory authored by the whole team.

The Tigers have beaten the world champions twice in a week, and world cricket has been served notice that Bangladesh at home are a force to be feared.