Bangladesh eye historic 3-0 ODI series sweep against Australia
Bangladesh will seek a historical series sweep as they take on Australia in the third and final ODI at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium tomorrow. The match starts at 11 AM. The hosts won the first ODI by 86 runs on DLS method to register their first and only second victory against Australia in 21 years. However for the third victory they had to wait just 48 hours as they secured a five-match victory also on DLS, after rain interrupted the game.
On both occasions, Bangladesh thoroughly dominated the cricketing powerhouse Australia, sending the fans into delirium. The manner in which they won those games instilled a belief that a series-sweep is not just a mere imagination rather it's a realistic goal if they can replicate the performances. Standin on the brink of the history opener Soumya Sarkar has urged the team management to field its strongest possible XI in the final ODI against, saying the Bangladesh should focus on completing a historic whitewash rather than testing new combinations.
"It is a matter for the management, but if you ask me, I would say it is better not to test. We are playing against a very big team. Winning 3-0 would be a huge achievement. So only the best XI should be played," he said. However, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was hit on his head by a bouncer of Australian pacer Nathan Ellis in the second game still looks uncertain despite recovering fast. "Miraz has joined the team. The doctors are still monitoring him. There is time until tomorrow. He is with the team and doing well," he said. Considering Miraz's condition, Bangladesh added offspinner Mahedi Hasan into the squad. However, Soumya believes Bangladesh's landmark series triumph deserved greater recognition and celebration. "The series we won should have been celebrated in a bigger way because it is a major achievement. I don't know how much we celebrated it, but it should have been done more," Soumya remarked. Looking ahead to the final match, he said a whitewash would elevate the accomplishment even further. "A 3-0 victory would definitely be even bigger.
That will be our goal. We will play positive cricket, and the team that performs well in all three departments will win," he added. The two sides so far met 24 times in ODI format, with Bangladesh winning three. Bangladesh's success against Australia also marked their 20th bilateral ODI series triumph. England remain the only major side against whom Bangladesh have yet to win an ODI bilateral series. Should Bangladesh complete the sweep, it would become the country's 15th ODI bilateral series whitewash and one of the most memorable achievements in its cricket history. Squads: Bangladesh: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Captain), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Liton Das, Musaddek Hossain Saikat, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana and Mahedi Hasan Australia: Josh Inglis, Oliver Peake, Cooper Connolly, Liam Scott, Tanveer Sangha, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Riley Meredith, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake, Alex Carey, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne.
