BRISBANE – In a display of sheer grit and technical brilliance at the Allan Border Field, Sobhana Mostary etched her name into the history books, becoming the first Bangladeshi woman to register an international century against Australia. In a high-stakes second ODI that saw the visitors staring into the abyss during the opening overs, Mostary’s composed 118 off 134 balls provided the backbone for a competitive total of 220/6, giving Bangladesh a fighting chance to level the series.
The match began inauspiciously for the tourists after Australia, choosing to bowl first, immediately exerted their dominance. The Australian pace attack, spearheaded by the wily Megan Schutt, tore through the Bangladeshi top order with clinical precision. Within the first few overs, the visitors were reeling at a disastrous 8/3, leaving their middle order with the mountainous task of rebuilding the innings against one of the world’s most formidable bowling lineups.
The Great Recovery: Mostary and Sultana Lead the Charge
What followed was one of the most remarkable rescue acts in the history of Bangladesh women’s cricket. With the scoreboard reading 8/3, Mostary was joined at the crease by captain Nigar Sultana. Rather than playing with desperation, the duo settled into a rhythm of calculated defense and opportunistic stroke-play.
Mostary, displaying a temperament well beyond her years, anchored the innings with remarkable patience. As the overs ticked by, she began to find the boundary with increasing frequency, peppering the field with 18 elegant strokes to the rope. Her knock was a masterclass in pacing, transitioning from a survival mindset to an aggressive offensive stance as she moved toward her maiden international hundred.
At the other end, skipper Nigar Sultana provided the perfect foil. Sultana’s 74 off 114 deliveries was a vital contribution, focusing on rotation of the strike and ensuring that the momentum remained firmly with Bangladesh. By the time the partnership was finally broken, the pair had accumulated a staggering 195 runs—a total that effectively transformed a potential blowout into a competitive thriller.
Rewriting the Record Books
The statistical significance of the Mostary-Sultana partnership cannot be overstated. Their 195-run stand for the fourth wicket smashed the previous record for the highest partnership for any wicket in Bangladesh women’s ODI history, eclipsing the 152-run effort set by Sultana and Sharmin Akhter against Thailand just last year.
Furthermore, the duo achieved a feat that has eluded international sides for over two decades. Their partnership set a new record for the highest stand against an Australian women’s side in ODI history, surpassing the 170-run record held by New Zealand’s Emily Drumm and Rebecca Rolls since 2002.
Mostary’s individual milestone serves as a watershed moment for the sport in her home country. Having previously seen Nigar Sultana hold the record for the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi woman against Australia—an unbeaten 63 in a T20I—the team has now witnessed a significant leap in batting caliber. The ability to post such a score against a world-class Australian bowling unit signals a maturing confidence within the Bangladeshi squad.
The Final Push
The Australian bowlers, led by Megan Schutt, eventually managed to stem the flow of runs in the death overs. Schutt, who had decimated the top order in her opening spell, returned to the attack to claim crucial wickets, eventually dismissing Mostary in the 48th over. Schutt’s figures of four wickets reflected both her individual excellence and the persistent pressure the Australian side applied throughout the innings, as she also accounted for the dismissals of Fargana Hoque, Sharmin Akhter, and later, Shorna Akter.
Despite losing the flurry of late wickets, Bangladesh concluded their 50 overs with a sense of pride and renewed purpose. Having recovered from the brink of total collapse to reach 220, the visitors have set a target that demands respect.
As the second innings looms, the pressure shifts to the Australian batters to chase down a target on a track that demanded application and courage. For Bangladesh, the mission is simple: defend the total, take early wickets, and capitalize on the momentum generated by Mostary’s historic century to force a decider in the series.
Regardless of the final outcome, this match will be remembered as the day Sobhana Mostary announced herself on the global stage, proving that with the right combination of patience and power, the traditional hierarchy of international cricket can be challenged.
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