Australia avoided a series whitewash in dramatic fashion as Cooper Connolly produced a stunning century to guide the visitors to a one-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the 3rd ODI at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.
Bangladesh had already sealed the series after winning the opening two matches, but the hosts were chasing a famous 3-0 sweep after posting a competitive 274/5 in their 50 overs. Towhid Hridoy led the innings with a composed 83, while Litton Das remained unbeaten on 58 and Mosaddek Hossain added an important 56 not out to push Bangladesh towards a strong total.
Australia’s chase started brightly but quickly became tense as Bangladesh struck back through Shoriful Islam. The left-arm pacer delivered a magnificent spell, finishing with six wickets and almost pulling off an unforgettable win for the Tigers. Australia slipped into danger several times, but Connolly held the innings together with maturity, power and calmness under pressure.
Connolly’s 149 off 134 balls, decorated with 13 fours and six sixes, proved to be the difference between the two sides. He built crucial partnerships with Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Oliver Peake before falling late in the chase. His dismissal gave Bangladesh fresh hope, especially with Australia nine wickets down and still needing runs in the final over.
However, Adam Zampa kept his nerve when it mattered most. With Australia needing three runs from the final over, Zampa struck Taskin Ahmed through the covers for the winning boundary in the 49.3rd over, sealing a thrilling victory for the tourists and denying Bangladesh a clean sweep.
Despite the defeat, Bangladesh finished the series with plenty to celebrate. Their 2-1 series victory marked a historic achievement against Australia, while Mosaddek Hossain’s all-round contribution across the three matches earned him the Player of the Series award. Australia, meanwhile, will take confidence from Connolly’s match-winning knock, but the series still exposed concerns over their batting depth and consistency.
Chief Scores
Bangladesh – 274/5 in 50 overs
Towhid Hridoy 83, Litton Das 58 not out, Mosaddek Hossain 56 not out
Xavier Bartlett 2/47, Matt Renshaw 2/44, Ben Dwarshuis 1/55
Australia – 277/9 in 49.3 overs
Cooper Connolly 149, Marnus Labuschagne 29, Cameron Green 27, Oliver Peake 27
Shoriful Islam 6/48, Mahedi Hasan 1/37, Mustafizur Rahman 1/56, Taskin Ahmed 1/59
Result: Australia won by 1 wicket
Series Result: Bangladesh won the ODI series 2-1
Player of the Match: Cooper Connolly
Player of the Series: Mosaddek Hossain
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