Nahid Rana ran in through the Dhaka evening at speeds above 150 km/h, and Australia had no answer. His figures of 4 for 41 stripped the middle order bare and carried Bangladesh to an 86-run win over the six-time world champions. It was only the second time that Bangladesh have defeated Australia in this format; their previous win was in June 2005, known as the Cardiff Miracle. Twenty-one years had passed. The wall came down in a single spell.
How it was decided
Bangladesh set the terms first. Openers Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto laid the foundation with a 96-run partnership; Tanzid scored 54 from 44 balls, while Shanto contributed 67. Then came the return of Mosaddek Hossain. Making a strong statement on his return to the international side after four years, the all-rounder scored an unbeaten 86 off 70 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes to lift Bangladesh to 284 for 8.
The chase collapsed at its source. Taskin Ahmed's delivery castled Matt Short off the first ball of the Australia innings. Short became only the fifth opener to fall first ball in an ODI against Bangladesh, and the first in 17 years. Australia had now registered three consecutive scoreless opening stands. Mustafizur Rahman then trapped Marnus Labuschagne lbw.
Rana did the rest. After Australia had slumped to two wickets for two runs, Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly added 49; just as Inglis appeared settled, Rana removed him for 19 with a delivery clocked at nearly 148 km/h. The dismissal drew a heated exchange with the Australia captain before Mehidy Hasan Miraz stepped between them. Rana returned to dismiss Alex Carey for 47 with a thunderbolt at 146 km/h, then removed Scott and Bartlett with successive bouncers in consecutive overs — three second-spell wickets that effectively decided the match. Cameron Green's defiant half-century meant little; the tourists were one wicket from a heavy defeat when lightning halted play with 7.4 overs remaining. Australia needed 94 from 46 balls, and when play could not resume, Bangladesh took the win under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
The trajectory
This was no isolated spell. Rana had taken three five-wicket hauls in the previous three months, and he claimed his 4 for 41 in a fiery performance clocked at over 150 km/h. His control did not arrive immediately. In his first spell of four overs he conceded 21 runs; in his remaining six he gave away only 20, regrouping to strike back. Each of his four wickets came from deliveries travelling at no less than 146 km/h.
The result sits inside a wider surge. Bangladesh arrived on the back of three consecutive bilateral ODI series wins, with Taskin Ahmed, Rana and Mustafizur forming one of Asia's most dangerous pace attacks. Rana is the youngest, and the fastest.
Ashraful watched from the dugout in 2005 as a batter. On this night, from the same dressing room as coach, he watched a bowler carry the story forward.
