Bangladesh wrapped up their first ever bilateral ODI series against Australia with a match to spare on Thursday, yet the dressing-room remained almost eerily calm. Soumya Sarkar, who chipped in with a brisk 42 during the five-wicket victory, admitted he expected a bigger fuss.
“This series win is such a big achievement, for which I think there should have been a much bigger celebration,” he said. “I don’t know how much we have done but it should have been better. If we can make it 3-0, it will certainly be huge, but even winning the series should have been celebrated better. We are focused on making it 3-0 by playing positive cricket in all three departments.”
Those comments came after the usual team song and a few quiet handshakes – a far cry from the nationwide street parties that once followed any win over a major side. Some in the squad feel expectations have risen so sharply that beating Australia no longer triggers the same emotional surge.
Key moments
• Bangladesh lead series 2-0 after wins by 86 runs and five wickets.
• Soumya and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto added 86 for the second wicket in chase of 192.
• Fast bowlers again set the tone, Nahid Rana troubling the visitors with pace and bounce.
Tactical approach
When debutant Tanzid Hasan fell for a duck, Australia tried to squeeze Bangladesh with attacking fields and short bursts from their main quicks. Soumya explained the thinking behind the counter-punch.
“When Tanzid got out, we kept in mind that a big team will always try to get on top of you if you are bogged down. They were trying hard to get wickets, so Shanto and I decided to play normal attacking cricket. We didn’t want to be dominated at that instance.”
The left-hander’s innings ended when a reverse sweep off part-timer Matt Renshaw ballooned to slip. He stood by the shot.
“If I reached my half-century, my shot wouldn’t come into the discussion. But I thought the shot was on; I had success playing it in the past. I wasn’t successful this time. I would play the shot whenever I feel it is necessary.”
Fast-bowling depth
Soumya reserved special praise for a pace attack that has eased the traditional reliance on spin.
“I think we have one of the best pace attacks in the world currently. I think the opposition will think about our pace attack if they put out a fast bouncy wicket against us. The pace bowlers are giving us a very good time. Spin used to help our winning ratio in the past; now it’s the fast bowlers playing match-winning roles.
“We should really take care of these fast bowlers so that they can play for Bangladesh for a long time. They should become role models for the next batch of fast bowlers in the country. We want a healthy competition in every department, so that we can take advantage of their momentum.”
Looking ahead
The third ODI is on Sunday. A home whitewash of Australia would once have felt distant; now it sits there as a realistic, if still challenging, next step. Whether a 3-0 result sparks louder celebrations remains to be seen, but Sarkar – and many supporters – would welcome a bit more noise.
