Under-strength Australia flirting with a series whitewash ahead of final ODI in Mirpur
Bangladesh v Australia | 3rd ODI | Sunday 14th June | Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur | 07:00am
Sunday’s ODI is the third and final game of a three-match series. With Australia having lost the first two games, Sunday’s encounter is a dead rubber.
Australia became just the fourth side in the history of ODI cricket to lose three wickets before there was a run on the board as Bangladesh tore into their top order on Thursday.
Marnus Labuschagne came in at seven in the second ODI, but he finally brought an end to his dismal run of form (his previous scores on the current Asia tour were 0, 5, 19 and 1) as he hit an undefeated 55.
Prior to this series Bangladesh had beaten Australia just once previously in an ODI – that win was 21 years ago in Cardiff.
Australia are in the middle of a very poor run of form; they have won just once in their last five ODIs.
Bangladesh have now won four consecutive ODI series – prior to the series against Australia they have also beaten New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies.
Thursday’s defeat has seen Australia drop to fourth in the world (South Africa have advanced to third). Bangladesh meanwhile is ranked ninth.
As was the case in Pakistan, Australia will continue to do without the services of their regular ODI captain Pat Cummins as well as Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc. They are also missing Mitch Marsh and Travis Head.
At eighth in the rankings Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz is the series’ top ranked bowler. Australia’s highest ranked bowler is tenth placed Adam Zampa. Between them they have managed just a single wicket in the two games thus far.
Usually excellent in the field, Australia dropped four catches in the series opener on Tuesday. They dropped a further two in the second game on Thursday.
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Australia have played five ODI’s at the venue and lost twice – their two most recent games.
Bangladesh have won 57 of the 113 ODI’s they have played at the ground. They have been beaten there 53 times.
Skippers winning the toss in Mirpur have a slight preference to batting first. On 69 occasions they have opted to bat first, while on 61 they have chosen to field.
Australia won the toss in both the first two games of the series – they elected to field first in the opener and bat first in the second game.
The team chasing has won on 65 occasions at the venue compared to the team that sets which has won 62.
The average first innings score at the ground is 218.
The highest score made at the ground was India’s 370/4 from 50 overs against Bangladesh in 2011.
The lowest score recorded at the ground was Bangladesh’s disappointing 58 all out against the West Indies in 2011.
The highest score successfully chased at the ground was 330/4 from 47.5 overs, scored by India against Pakistan during the 2012 Asia Cup.
The lowest total successfully defended at the ground was India’s 105 all out which proved enough to see off Bangladesh in 2014.
Weather:
Rain affected both the opening fixtures in Mirpur, and it could well have an influence again on Sunday. The forecast suggests Mirpur will be warm and humid, with temperatures hovering around 31 degrees but feeling much hotter due to high humidity. Expect a mix of partly sunny skies and scattered thunderstorms. The afternoon features a brief dry period before clouds return later in the day.
Form (most recent game first):
Bangladesh: W, W, W, W, L.
Australia: L, L, L, W, L.
Last five games Head-to-head: Bang, Bang, Aus, Aus, NR
Key player:
Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz: The Bangladesh skipper is a pivotal figure for his side heading into Sunday’s final ODI, operating as both the team’s captain and frontline spin-bowling all-rounder. Known for his disciplined right-arm off break bowling, he excels at choking the opposition’s scoring rate using subtle variations in flight and speed. While his primary role remains suffocating Australia’s middle order, his rapidly evolving batting adds critical lower-order depth. Coming off a composure-filled 22 not out to close out the second match, Miraz’s dual-threat ability to handle high-pressure situations makes him indispensable to the Tigers.
Australia, Xavier Bartlett: Australia’s standout player in the second ODI, the tall, right-arm quick thrives on finding late swing and bounce, which can rattle top-order batters early in the innings. Bartlett showed immense grit during the second ODI, leading a lower-order rescue mission with a critical 52 runs off 48 balls before striking with a wicket on just his second delivery. His proven ability to extract movement on subcontinental tracks and chip in with crucial lower order runs makes him central to Australia’s game plan. With the Mirpur wicket smiling kindly on the quicks another fiery opening spell from Bartlett is exactly what Australia needs.
Verdict: Australia
For Bangladesh the job is done, and the Impossible Mission has been accomplished. It is hard to imagine that they will get themselves up to do the job again. Australia meanwhile has pride and a badly bruised ego to play for. It’s far from a foregone conclusion but expect the Baggy Greens to come out hard and find a way to salvage something from what has been a very disappointing tour.
