Bangladesh National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Timeline

Cricket has seen many intense rivalries over the years, and while Bangladesh vs. Australia may not be as historically significant as some others, it has produced moments of brilliance, upsets, and fierce competition. The two teams have had several encounters across different formats, shaping a compelling timeline of their cricketing history.

Early Encounters: Bangladesh’s Entry into International Cricket

Bangladesh’s Test Status and First Meeting with Australia (2000-2003)

Bangladesh became a full-member Test nation in 2000, marking a new era in cricket. However, their first match against Australia came in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa.

• February 27, 2003 – First ODI Encounter (Australia won by 7 wickets, Potchefstroom)
  • Australia, led by Ricky Ponting, dominated with both bat and ball.
  • Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee dismantled Bangladesh’s batting lineup, restricting them to 129 runs.
  • Australia chased the target comfortably in only 18.5 overs.

Bangladesh’s First Test Series Against Australia (2003)

• July 18-20, 2003 – First Test Match (Australia won by an innings and 180 runs, Darwin)
  • Bangladesh struggled against Australia’s world-class bowling attack, scoring only 97 and 163 runs in two innings.
  • Jason Gillespie and Stuart MacGill tore through the batting lineup.
  • Australia, in response, scored 407/7 declared, with Darren Lehmann hitting 110 runs.
• July 25-27, 2003 – Second Test Match (Australia won by an innings and 98 runs, Cairns)
  • Bangladesh once again failed to challenge Australia, losing inside three days.
  • Matthew Hayden (203 runs) scored a double-century, ensuring an innings win.
  • Shane Warne and Andy Bichel were the chief wicket-takers.

Bangladesh’s Historic Upset in 2005 – Cardiff Miracle

• June 18, 2005 – ODI (Bangladesh won by 5 wickets, Cardiff, NatWest Series)
  • One of the biggest upsets in cricket history
  • Bangladesh bowled well, restricting Australia to 249/5 (Damien Martyn 77*).
  • Mohammad Ashraful’s iconic 100 off 101 balls led Bangladesh to a stunning victory.
  • Aftab Ahmed hit the winning runs, shocking the cricket world.

This match is still remembered as one of the greatest upsets in ODI cricket history.

Australia’s Continued Dominance (2006-2011)

Australia’s Tour of Bangladesh 2006 – Dominant Test Series Win

• April 9-13, 2006 – First Test (Australia won by 3 wickets, Fatullah)
  • Bangladesh posted 427 runs in the first innings, thanks to Shahriar Nafees’ 138.
  • Adam Gilchrist’s counter-attacking 144 turned the match around.
  • Shane Warne and Stuart Clark led Australia to a narrow win.
• April 16-20, 2006 – Second Test (Australia won by an innings and 80 runs, Chattogram)
  • Jason Gillespie’s historic 201 as a night-watchman* shocked everyone.
  • Australia crushed Bangladesh with a massive innings win.

ODI Series in 2011 – Australia Wins Comfortably

• Australia toured Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series in April 2011, winning all matches convincingly.
• Shane Watson smashed a record-breaking 185 off 96 balls* in the second ODI.

Bangladesh’s Rise – Competitive Matches and Victories (2017-2021)

Bangladesh’s First-Ever Test Win Against Australia (2017)

• August 27-30, 2017 – First Test (Bangladesh won by 20 runs, Dhaka)
  • Bangladesh posted 260 runs, with Tamim Iqbal scoring 71.
  • Shakib Al Hasan’s all-round brilliance (84 runs, 10 wickets in the match) guided Bangladesh to a famous win.
  • Australia, despite David Warner’s 112, fell short by 20 runs.
  • This was Bangladesh’s first-ever Test victory against Australia.
• September 4-8, 2017 – Second Test (Australia won by 7 wickets, Chattogram)
  • Nathan Lyon’s 13 wickets in the match helped Australia level the series.

T20I Series 2021 – Bangladesh’s Historic Dominance

• August 3-9, 2021 – Five-Match T20I Series (Bangladesh won 4-1)
  • First T20I (Bangladesh won by 23 runs) – Nasum Ahmed took 4 wickets as Bangladesh restricted Australia to 108.
  • Second T20I (Bangladesh won by 5 wickets) – Afif Hossain’s 37 rescued Bangladesh.*
  • Third T20I (Bangladesh won by 10 runs) – Bangladesh defended 127 runs, with Mustafizur Rahman’s brilliance.
  • Fourth T20I (Australia won by 3 wickets) – Dan Christian smashed five sixes in an over.
  • Fifth T20I (Bangladesh won by 60 runs) – Shakib Al Hasan’s all-round show sealed the series 4-1.

This was Bangladesh’s first-ever T20I series win against Australia.

Recent Encounters & The Future

2023 ODI World Cup Clash – Australia’s Dominance Continues

• November 11, 2023 – ODI World Cup Match (Australia won by 8 wickets, Pune)
  • Bangladesh posted 306/8, with Towhid Hridoy scoring 74 runs.
  • David Warner (102) and Mitchell Marsh (177)** dominated the chase.
  • Australia comfortably won with 32 balls to spare.

Upcoming Series and Future Prospects

• With Bangladesh’s steady growth in cricket, their contests against Australia promise to be more competitive.
• Bangladesh’s young talents like Shoriful Islam, Litton Das, and Towhid Hridoy are expected to challenge Australia in future series.
• Australia, on the other hand, continues to dominate world cricket but can no longer take Bangladesh lightly.

Conclusion

The timeline of matches between Bangladesh and Australia showcases Australia’s historical dominance but also Bangladesh’s incredible rise over the years. From Ashraful’s Cardiff heroics in 2005 to Shakib’s Test win in 2017 and Bangladesh’s T20I series victory in 2021, the rivalry has seen some memorable moments. As Bangladesh continues to improve, future encounters promise to be even more thrilling.

Will Bangladesh pull off more historic wins, or will Australia maintain its dominance? Only time will tell.