Bangladesh are making huge strides in cricket with their performances against the bigger teams over the past couple of years and despite their supposed arrogance, it is heartening to watch how the Asian minnows are making their mark in international cricket.
ODI series victories over India and South Africa in 2015 proved how dangerous a side Bangladesh are on home soil and the way they have tackled England in the ongoing Test series is proof that they have the caliber to provide any opposition a stiff competition in the longer format of the game as well. Having come agonizingly close in the first Test Match at Chittagong, the home side finished off the job in Dhaka to tie the two-match Test series 1-1.
Let’s take a look at five Greatest Victories in Cricket Bangladesh has achieved so far in their cricket history.
1. Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 1999 World Cup
In the 1999 World Cup, Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 62 runs. Bangladesh scored 223 runs for 9 wickets in 50 overs, and Pakistan was all out for 161 runs.
This win was a major boost for Bangladesh cricket. They were the underdogs in their first World Cup and had only beaten Scotland in the group stage. Even though they couldn’t advance to the Super Six stage, their match against Pakistan attracted a large crowd in Northampton.
Bangladesh batted first and set a target of 224 runs. Pakistan was expected to win, but they struggled. After 13 overs, half of the Pakistan team was out, and they had only scored 42 runs. Khaled Mahmud took three crucial wickets early on. Despite some effort from Pakistan’s lower order, they were all out for 161. This win helped Bangladesh earn Test status in 2000.
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2. Bangladesh vs Australia, Natwest Series 2005
Australia scored 249/5 in 50 overs but lost to Bangladesh, who scored 250/5 in 49.2 overs, by five wickets.
Bangladesh’s win over Australia in the 2005 Natwest Series was very special because, even after more than 10 years, it remains their only international victory against Australia.
On that memorable day in Cardiff, Mohammad Ashraful was the hero. The match began with the news that Andrew Symonds had been dropped for getting drunk before the game. Australia missed Symonds’ contribution, and they could only score 249 runs on a slow pitch.
Bangladesh also started slowly and was at 72/3 in the 21st over. Then, Habibul Bashar joined Ashraful, and together they scored 130 runs for the fourth wicket in 23 overs. Ashraful scored his first ODI century, becoming only the second Bangladeshi cricketer to do so. Although Bashar and Ashraful didn’t finish the game, Aftab Ahmed’s quick 21 not out from 13 balls helped Bangladesh chase the target with four balls to spare.
3. Bangladesh vs India, 2007 World Cup
India was all out for 191 runs and lost to Bangladesh, who scored 192/5 in 48.3 overs, by five wickets.
The 2007 World Cup was a tough memory for India, but it helped Bangladesh establish themselves as a strong cricket team after several disappointing results.
There was a lot of focus on how India would perform amidst rumors of team conflicts, especially the well-known clash between coach Greg Chappell and Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly had lost his captaincy but made a strong comeback with a great tour of South Africa just before the World Cup.
In the match, Ganguly was the top scorer for India with 66 runs, and Yuvraj Singh added 47 runs. India was all out for a low total of 191. Despite strong bowling from India, Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal, Shakib-al-Hasan, and Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored an unbeaten 56 off 107 balls, helped them chase down the target with nine balls to spare and five wickets remaining.
This win allowed Bangladesh to advance to the Super Eight stage, while India was knocked out of the tournament after losing another group stage match to Sri Lanka.
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4. Bangladesh vs England, 2015 World Cup
They scored 275/7 in 50 overs and beat England, who were all out for 260, by 15 runs.
Bangladesh improved with each World Cup. After the 2007 World Cup, they did even better in 2011, winning three group stage matches, including one against England. They missed reaching the quarter-finals only due to a lower net run-rate compared to West Indies.
In this World Cup, Bangladesh once again thwarted England’s hopes with a dramatic 15-run win. Their victory at Adelaide Oval was more significant than their win in Chittagong four years earlier, due to the emotional impact and the fact that they performed better than England in conditions that suited the English team.
Batting first, Bangladesh made 275 runs in 50 overs. Mohammad Mohammadullah scored their first-ever World Cup century, and Mushfiqur Rahim added 89 runs off 77 balls. England started well but fell to 132/5 in the 30th over after losing three wickets for just 11 runs.
Jos Buttler’s quick half-century brought England back into the game, but Rubel Hossain’s strong bowling meant England fell short by 15 runs, with Chris Woakes remaining not out on 40.
5. Bangladesh vs England, 2nd Test, 2016
Following the feisty ODI series which saw a lot of unsavoury incidents between the two sides, the crowd was looking forward to the two-match Test series with much anticipation and looking back, it is safe to say that they got more than what they bargained for.
The first Test at Chittagong was a thrilling one with Bangladesh narrowly missing out on a famous victory as they fell short by 22 runs chasing a target of 285 on the fifth day. However, the hosts had the final laugh as they scripted their Test win in history and their first against England as Alastair Cook’s side collapsed from a position of strength of 100 for no loss before losing ten wickets for 64 runs falling short of the target of 272 by a margin of 108 runs.
Tamim Iqbal’s century in the first innings was undermined by a lacklustre showing by his fellow batsmen saw Bangladesh score only 220 runs with England gaining a slender 24-run lead in the first innings. The second innings saw a much more balanced effort by the host batsmen as they posted 296 runs on the board thereby setting up a target of 272 for the visitors.
Half-centuries by Alastair Cook and Ben Duckett meant that England were cruising at one stage but it all turned upside down after Tea on Day Three with 19-year-old Mehdi Hasan taking 6-77 and Shakib al Hasan 4-49 as England were bundled out for 164 runs thus giving their most famous victory yet in the longest format of the game.
Here’s a table format for the key details of Bangladesh’s significant cricket victories:
| Match | Date | Bangladesh’s Score | Opponent’s Score | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 1999 World Cup | 1999 | 223/9 in 50 overs | 161 all out | Bangladesh won | 62 runs |
| Bangladesh vs Australia, Natwest Series 2005 | 2005 | 250/5 in 49.2 overs | 249/5 | Bangladesh won | 5 wickets |
| Bangladesh vs India, 2007 World Cup | 2007 | 192/5 in 48.3 overs | 191 all out | Bangladesh won | 5 wickets |
| Bangladesh vs England, 2015 World Cup | 2015 | 275/7 in 50 overs | 260 all out | Bangladesh won | 15 runs |
| Bangladesh vs England, 2nd Test, 2016 | 2016 | 220 all out & 296 all out | 244 all out & 164 all out | Bangladesh won | 108 runs |
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