Bangladesh vs Australia, 1st Women’s ODI Tips & Preview – Aussies Eye Glory Against Tigresses

By Nikhil Kalro

19 Mar 2024

Nikhil Kalro 19 Mar 2024

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Australia women's cricket team embarks on a unique tour to Bangladesh.
Australia aims to understand conditions and explore spin options in the face of the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Despite not having beaten Australia before, Bangladesh are eager to impress and consider this a major growth step in cricket.

Members of the Australian Women’s Cricket Team. (Getty Images)

Australia and their star-studded women's team lineup have embarked on a historic tour of Bangladesh and will be eager to return with glory, while the hosts eye the opposite.

Australia’s Chance To Gain Familiarity With Conditions
A Plethora Of Spin Options For The Aussies
Bangladesh’s Chance To Impress
Bangladesh vs Australia, 1st Women’s ODI – Tips & Predictions

History will be made on March 21 when Bangladesh host Australia in the first of three ODIs in Mirpur. This is Australia women’s first-ever bilateral tour of Bangladesh. All three games, which are day games, will constitute the ICC Women’s Championship, which aims to identify the eight teams that will compete at next year’s 50-overs World Cup in India.

Australia’s Chance To Gain Familiarity With Conditions

It will be valuable on a number of counts. With the T20 World Cup slated to be held in Bangladesh this September-October, Australia have a wonderful opportunity to familiarize themselves with conditions and what the make-up of their spin attack should be for that competition, where they will be defending the crown that they won in South Africa in February-March 2023.

A Plethora Of Spin Options For The Aussies

They’ve only been to Bangladesh once before, and it’s a tour that must rekindle happy memories. In 2014, Australia clinched the T20 World Cup in Dhaka when they beat England in the final to defend their title. Alyssa Healy, the current captain, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, and Jess Jonassen are the only four members of the current squad to have played there before.

Australia have had an injury to deal with prior to departure, with fast bowler Darcie Brown ruled out. Included initially only for the T20Is, allrounder Grace Harris, coming off a WPL season with UP Warriorz, will now also play in the ODIs. There’s more spin in the form of leg spinner Georgia Wareham and left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, who are coming in on the back of a title-winning run at the WPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Bangladesh’s Chance To Impress

For Bangladesh, who’ve come on leaps and bounds as a cricket team in recent years, this tour presents a golden opportunity for them to challenge and push Australia to the limits. Over the years, spin has been their forte at home and the slow surfaces will be an ally for them.

Bangladesh women have never beaten Australia before. In fact, they’ve only played one ODI against each other in the past, at the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand. They’ve beaten India, Pakistan, and Pakistan on recent tours. They also tied a game with India at home in July while beating Pakistan in a Super Over last November. Australia will be another massive step in their development as a cricket team.

Bangladesh vs Australia, 1st Women’s ODI – Tips & Predictions

World champions Australia start as overwhelming favourites. Bangladesh will do well to compete and push their opponents as much as they can. If you’re looking to pick a fantasy captain, bank on Alyssa Healy. Having had a middling run in the WPL, she’s due a big score, and her aggressive approach may just give you wholesome points.