Bangladesh seek historic 3-0 sweep against Australia in 3rd ODI

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 today (Sunday). The match starts at 11 AM,
reports BSS.
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.
Cricbuzz adds, Bangladesh opener Soumya Sarkar said on Saturday that he will continue to back his strengths, whether it brings success or not.
The left-handed batter, who returned to the ODI setup after being dropped for the opening game against Australia, made 42 before attempting a reverse sweep against Matthew Renshaw and spooning a catch to the fielder at slip.
After losing Tanzid Tamim early, Soumya and Najmul Hossain Shanto stitched together an 86-run stand for the second wicket that proved to be the backbone of the chase.
Many feel Soumya should not have played the reverse sweep at that stage, though the left-handed batter begged to differ.
"Of course, the innings could have been bigger. If I had played that shot after reaching fifty, maybe nobody would be asking this question. But the shot I played is one in which I have a high success rate, so I felt it was worth playing," said Soumya.
"I wasn't successful this time, that's true. But at that moment I felt that if I played it and succeeded, it would have looked good. Now that it didn't come off, it looks negative. If I get a similar opportunity in the future, I will still back myself to play that shot," he said.
Soumya said he and Najmul decided to counterattack as they felt it was the best option.
"When Tamim got out, if you keep getting bogged down against a big team, they keep coming harder at you. They were trying very hard to take wickets. So Shanto and I were thinking about playing normal cricket, attacking cricket, so that they could not dominate us," he said.
"Look, the situation was such that the target was small. If we had thought about taking our time and then lost another wicket, the game would have shifted towards them. We didn't give them that opportunity," he added.
Soumya, who has been in and out of the national team, insisted that it is difficult to adjust after a break but added that communication in this regard is much better than it was earlier.
"It's not only for me but the same for any batter. When you play an international match after a long gap, there is pressure on everyone," said Soumya.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced that it has added offspinner Mahedi Hasan to the squad for the third and final ODI against Australia at the SBNCS in Mirpur as cover for Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who returned home after undergoing hospital assessment following a blow to the head in the second ODI.
The 31-year-old Mahedi has played 11 ODIs for Bangladesh, with his last appearance coming against the same opposition during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
"ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz is in good health but will undergo further assessment tomorrow to determine his fitness for the third game," the BCB said in a statement.
Australia's Marnus Labuschagne said on Saturday that the pace revolution of Bangladesh encouraged them to produce sporting wickets.
Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed, speaking after the series win over Australia insisted that they are happy that they earned the win on sporting wickets instead of playing on low and slow wickets that are popularly known as 'paddy field'.
Bangladesh's home successes against major teams have often been downplayed because of the traditionally low and slow surfaces on offer in Dhaka. Critics have regularly pointed to the nature of the pitches when assessing wins over the likes of Australia, New Zealand and England.
However, it was not the case this time around as the Aussies were humbled in front of the pace trio comprising Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
"I think they've got a really good pace bowling attack that can also get a lot out of a wicket with a bit of pace and bounce and seam," Labuschagne told reporters ahead of the final ODI.
"At times we've probably missed those opportunities in the field. I think game one, I dropped that catch at second slip, and you take that catch and you put a bit of pressure on, and that total can pretty much come down to anything from 200 if you get a few wickets in that power play. So I think the opportunities have been there for us and we just haven't taken them in the field," he said.
"Certainly every game you lose is frustrating and you want to win games. That's why we go out, that's why we spend time away from home is to come and play and do what we love. So we want to go out there tomorrow and play good cricket and finish the series 2-1. At the end of the day, if you lose the series 3-0 or 2-1, you've still lost the series. So that's the part that hurts. But we're going to make sure we come ready to go tomorrow," he concluded.