Cooper Connolly’s first international hundred arrived in brutal Dhaka heat, the 20-year-old dragging Australia to a one-wicket victory and sparing them a 3-0 sweep at the hands of Bangladesh. The left-hander’s 149 from 133 balls carried his side past the home team’s 274 for 5 with three deliveries to spare, yet it was the manner – limbs seizing under oppressive humidity – that made the effort feel even larger.
“It was nice to play a role in a win for Australia,” Connolly said once the dressing-room air-conditioning had started to do its work.
Key moments
• Bangladesh 274-5 (Mahmudullah 92*)
• Australia 275-9 (Connolly 149)
• Tourists lose 4 for 5 before Adam Zampa’s cover-driven four seals it
• Shoriful Islam takes 6 for 48 – a career best – yet still ends on the losing side
From 266 for 5 the visitors somehow contrived to stumble to 271 for 9, recalled seamer Shoriful ripping through the lower order. Tanzid Hasan then dropped Zampa at slip – a straightforward chance that would have handed Shoriful a seventh wicket and, almost certainly, Bangladesh the match. Two balls later Zampa threaded Taskin Ahmed through extra cover and the contest was over.
“Tough towards the end,” Connolly admitted. “I felt like my body was all in shock and not wanting to move.”
Only Marnus Labuschagne, with a patient 29, offered anything resembling sustained company; the next highest score was single-figure stuff. Connolly struck 13 fours and six sixes, his 149 equalling the 27th-highest ODI score by an Australian.
“The enjoyment of playing for Australia and batting out in the middle is always something that’s exciting and to spend a bit of time out there was nice.”
Aggression from the outset
Stand-in captain Josh Inglis (23 from 20) and Connolly attacked the new ball, exploiting the first-powerplay field restrictions. Connolly argued afterwards that white-ball and red-ball methods need not be poles apart.
“Looking into it, ODI cricket is quite similar to how I play my red-ball cricket,” he said. “I like to be aggressive and I like to score. That’s the whole point of batting in the powerplay – you want to be aggressive and put guys under pressure.”
For 45 overs Australia’s chase looked routine. Then Shoriful returned: Inglis flicked to deep square, Labuschagne nicked off, Matt Short and Nathan Ellis both fell swing-bowled. When Connolly dragged Mustafizur Rahman on with four required, head in hands, it felt cruel.
“I was obviously a little disappointed in myself because I’d done all the hard work to get to that position,” he said. “It would have been nice to carry your bat through the whole innings. I think there’s always faith in whoever’s out there – whether it’s No.10 and 11 – I’m always willing to back them in. The emotions were [I was] quite upset and disappointed in myself, but it was nice to get over the line.”
Bangladesh’s view
Mahmudullah earlier marshalled the hosts to a competitive total, unbeaten on 92 from 104 deliveries. He and Towhid Hridoy added 98, taking advantage of a slow surface that rewarded nudges more than flourishing drives. Yet the innings never quite broke free, and Australia, for all their late stumbles, kept the target manageable.
Shoriful’s haul – full, straight, and occasionally reverse-swinging – was the best by a Bangladesh bowler against Australia in ODIs. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto later called the drop off Zampa “a small moment with a big consequence”, though he reserved praise for Connolly’s innings of substance.
Squad news – Green heads home
Cameron Green has been withdrawn from the three-match T20I series that begins in Chattogram on Wednesday. The all-rounder, the only regular three-format player to feature in the six ODIs against Pakistan and Bangladesh, has been afforded a rest after a heavy IPL workload. Australia will not name a replacement; uncapped leg-spinning all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary was already with the squad and is expected to stay on.
What it means
A one-day series that threatened to become a Bangladesh clean sweep ends 2-1. Australia now enjoy a seven-and-a-half-week break before hosting Bangladesh for two Tests starting in Darwin on 13 August – a rare northern-Australian winter fixture that should test both teams differently.
Connolly, meanwhile, has a maiden ODI hundred, a cramped body, and memories that will last considerably longer than the dehydration.
