Bangladesh were enveloped by an air of optimism despite Sunday's one-wicket defeat to Australia at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. The almost capacity crowd cheered every wicket, but they also applauded Cooper Connolly off when he was dismissed for a stunning 149. They didn't feel a heartbroken by defeat; Bangladesh had done the main bit last week when they took a 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
There wasn't any blame game when they walked off the field. There was no dissection of Bangladesh's performance either. A few commented on what could have been, had that catch been taken, or had that delivery not gone for six. Otherwise, the mood was all about celebrating winning an ODI series against Australia, a side that Bangladesh have always yearned to compete against. The reaction in Mirpur on Sunday was one of appreciation of Bangladesh's fighting spirit.
Shoriful Islam embodied that spirit near-perfectly with his 6 for 48. The left-arm seamer who nowadays only plays when the team management rotates their fast bowlers, Shoriful showed off his range of skills to pick up wickets in all his spells. Shoriful was replacing Nahid Rana, who had unleashed a reign of terror on Australia's batters in the first two ODIs. Replacing the rising superstar was never going to be easy, but Shoriful has done this job a few times this year.
Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was rested for the third ODI having suffered a concussion in the first game, paid tribute to Shoriful's ability and attitude. Shoriful is the sixth Bangladesh bowler to take a six-for in ODIs.
"Shoriful bowled really well, [especially] because he is always in and out of the team," Mehidy said. "It is a difficult situation for any cricketer. He is performing well in the last few series. Our bowling unit is full of hunger. Whenever anyone is getting a chance, they are contributing to the team.
"It is a positive sign for a team, as it is helping our results. A bowling unit such as this, allows our team with the maximum opportunity to win. Rana played the first two matches, bowled really well. Shoriful wasn't getting a game, but when he did, he proved himself.
"The dominance of our fast bowling was quite satisfying in this ODI series. It made everyone feel good, for me as a captain and for those who watched these matches. Beating a team like Australia has earned their respect. We have given them a tough time on good pitches. It is definitely a sign of our overall improvement."
Shoriful's six-wicket haul wasn't just a dead-rubber performance. It was another excellent showing in the face of stiff competition for places. Shoriful took 2 for 27 in ten miserly overs when he was called into the team at the last moment against New Zealand. He bowled well in every game of that white-ball series, before getting dropped for the first Test against Pakistan. When he was picked in the second Test, he took just one wicket, but bowled steadily. That one wicket was a telling one too: when Bangladesh struggled to dislodge Mohammad Rizwan on the fifth day, he removed him with his first ball. Talk about instant impact.
On Sunday, he removed a rampant Josh Inglis with his second ball, and then bowled Matt Renshaw around his legs with his fourth ball. These two wickets slowed Australia down after they had made a quick start to their chase of 275. He returned for his second spell with Marnus Labuschagne's wicket in the 23rd over, breaking a fourth-wicket stand of 64 with Connolly. When all hope seemed lost in the 46th over, with Australia needing just nine runs off the last five overs, Shoriful dismissed Oliver Peake and Xavier Bartlett in a 46th over that went for just one run. He then removed Ben Dwarshuis, caught at point, before Tanzid Hasan dropped a sitter at second slip, off Adam Zampa.
To Bangladesh's credit, they had more of such fighting performances throughout the ODI series. Mosaddek Hossain's comeback after four years included two bold half-centuries, and he ended up winning the Player-of-the-Series award.
"Mosaddek has come back to the side as a blessing," Mehidy said. "He is the answer to our search for a middle-order batter. He didn't play like he was returning to the side after four years. His performance has made me very happy, both with bat and ball. He is getting the rewards of working so hard in domestic cricket. He has set a great tone for the team."
The captain himself took the unusual step of playing through his concussion in the second game, a move that was deemed highly risky by the Bangladesh team doctor and physio at the time. Mehidy, who was struck on the side of his head by a Cameron Green bouncer during the first ODI, fell down and vomited. A stretcher was called up, but he refused to leave the field.
"I took a decision in the heat of the moment," he said. "The physio and doctor wanted me to leave the field. My only thought at that time was that, I don't want to give away the advantage to the opposition. My exit would have exposed the tail with 24 runs left in the chase.
"When I went to the hospital, the doctors said that I took a big risk. Nothing is bigger than your life, they said. I didn't pay attention to those things. I wanted to bat with Hridoy till the end."
The 2-1 win against Australia is also the culmination of Mehidy's comeback as a captain. Bangladesh had won just one ODI series in two years from July 2023 to July 2025. Mehidy's captaincy began with ODI-series defeats to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Since then, however, they have won four ODI series in a row against West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia. "I was given the captaincy in difficult circumstances. The team wasn't doing well," Mehidy said. "We lost two series in a row under my captaincy. I was subject to a lot of criticism at the time, which was fair given that we were not winning.
"I was generally positive about my captaincy. I believed that if I can take the team to a stage and I can be honest in my role, the team will get a result. That's exactly what happened."
