For 21 long years, the memories of Cardiff remained Bangladesh’s only cherished reminder of what was possible against Australia in ODIs. Since Mohammad Ashraful’s dazzling century lit up the 2005 NatWest Series, that famous triumph had stood alone, preserved in the nation’s cricketing folklore while victory over the Aussies remained elusive.
Under Mirpur’s cloudy skies on Tuesday, Bangladesh ended a 21-year wait for an ODI win over Australia, sealing an 86-run DLS victory behind Nahid Rana’s four-wicket haul and comeback hero Mosaddek Hossain’s all-round brilliance.
With Bangladesh now on the brink of a historic series win over Australia, Times of Bangladesh revisits the journey through the eyes of those who were part of that famous triumph in Cardiff.
Former captain Habibul Bashar Sumon, centurion Mohammad Ashraful, Nazmul Hossain, who dismissed Matthew Hayden, and opener Javed Omar Belim reflected on the memories of that landmark victory. Athar Ali Khan, who was on commentary duty when Bangladesh sealed the win, also recalled the moment that gave birth to his iconic line, “Take that, Australia.”
Habibul Bashar Sumon
Former Bangladesh captain and chief selector
“That win in Cardiff came completely out of the blue. Beating an Australian side of that calibre in those conditions was something special. From a captain’s perspective, it was a totally different experience.
Now, after so many years, I’m in a different role. Being a selector brings different feelings. But whenever Bangladesh wins a match like this, the feeling is always great. It doesn’t matter what role I’m in; as a former cricketer, it always gives me immense satisfaction.
I don’t know why it took us so long to beat Australia again after that Cardiff match. But one thing I can guarantee you is that next time, it won’t take this long for Bangladesh to beat Australia.”
Mohammad Ashraful
Former Bangladesh captain and national team batting coach
“A win is a win. The difference is that in 2005, beating Australia helped create the belief that Bangladesh could compete and win at the highest level. Since then, that belief has grown, and now we go into every match and every series expecting to win.
Back then, we were a young side still finding our way in international cricket. Today’s Bangladesh team is far more experienced. Players like Litton, Shanto, Miraz, Soumya, Mustafiz and Taskin have spent nearly a decade or more at the international level.”
There is also a huge difference between the Australian team we beat in 2005 and the one we face now. The two sides are worlds apart.”
Javed Omar Belim
Former Bangladesh cricketer
“To be honest, that Australian team was frightening. We looked up to players like Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath, so beating them was a massive achievement for a Bangladesh side that was still finding its feet in international cricket.
The match was in England, not even in our own conditions. Today, Bangladesh take the field expecting to win, but that mindset did not exist back then.
That victory was very important because it gave Bangladesh cricket hope and belief that we could compete with the best. In many ways, the progress and performances we see today can be traced back to that win.”
Rajin Saleh
Former Bangladesh cricketer and batting coach
“Australia were a huge team back then, filled with world legends. Beating that side in 2005 was a remarkable achievement. Ashraful, Aftab and Rafiq bhai stood out, but it was a complete team effort.
At the time, it was almost unthinkable that Bangladesh would beat the world champions in England. That victory was unbelievable and very different in context.
But beating Australia again after so many years is also a major achievement. The biggest difference is how far Bangladesh cricket has come. In the past, Australian and Pakistani pacers dominated world cricket. Now our fast bowlers are capable of troubling any batting line-up.
The team is also much more mature. Earlier, we depended on two or three performers. Now we have match-winners throughout the side.
That’s why one win should not be enough. After all the progress Bangladesh have made over the last 21 years, the goal must be to win the series.”
Nazmul Hossain
Former Bangladesh cricketer
“A lot has changed over the years. The 2005 Cardiff win will always be remembered, but there is also a sense of regret that we could not beat Australia again for so long.
The Australia we faced back then was almost beyond imagination in terms of quality. When you think of Australia, names like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden come to mind. Playing against those legends was a different experience altogether.
What stands out now is how far Bangladesh cricket has progressed. The gap between the two teams feels much smaller. A good example is Nahid Rana. There was a time when we wondered how our batters would handle 150kph pace. Now they regularly face a bowler like Nahid in the nets.
Having an asset like Nahid has helped our players grow psychologically. When they face genuine pace in international cricket, it no longer feels unfamiliar or intimidating.”
Athar Ali Khan
“It has been a massive transition. When we first played Australia in that NatWest Series, which also involved England, we were clear underdogs. There were no expectations on us. I don’t think the fans expected us to win those matches either.
The biggest difference is that the Cardiff victory came out of the blue, whereas this win was expected. That’s how I see it.
As for yesterday’s match, we have already won four series at home and there has been a significant shift in the team’s mindset, the management’s thinking and even the board’s approach. We have reached a stage where we are willing to make decisions based on what is best for our cricket.
It’s about deciding that we will play on green tops if that is what we need to do. Forget about the result, we are prepared to play on green-top wickets.”
“It’s a massive transition. When we first went to play Australia, in that NatWest Series involving England as well, we were the underdogs. There were no expectations. I don’t think even the fans expected that we could actually win a match. The biggest difference was that achievement came completely out of the blue. This one, however, was expected. At least that’s how I see it.
Yesterday’s match reflected how far we have come. We have now won four home series, and the transition has happened in terms of the team, the team’s mindset, the management’s mindset and even the board’s thinking. We finally reached a point where the decision was made that we would play on green-top wickets.
Forget the result. The important thing is that we were willing to play on green tops. I don’t know if people remember, but for the last 10 to 15 years, maybe even longer, I have been advocating for green-top cricket in domestic competitions. I have said it everywhere, though perhaps people heard it with one ear and let it out through the other. When I started seeing it happen in front of my eyes, I thought it was something truly beautiful.
At the time, we may not have realised that the results would eventually go in our favour. Once we started producing these kinds of wickets and encouraging youngsters to become fast bowlers rather than another left-arm spinner or batter, things began to change. Earlier, if you asked a schoolboy what kind of cricketer he wanted to be, he would say Mohammad Rafique, then Shakib Al Hasan, then Tamim Iqbal, then Mushfiqur Rahim, and so on, including Mashrafe Mortaza. Now it is a completely different story.
I am sure many youngsters now say they have seen Taskin Ahmed, they have seen Mustafizur Rahman, but they want to become Nahid Rana. That is a beautiful thing for Bangladesh cricket.
It is also a huge transition for the team because it is no longer dependent on one or two players. If we talk about the five pillars of Bangladesh cricket, we all know who they are. Mashrafe Mortaza started it all, followed by Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad. None of those five are in this team right now.
We are fortunate that they are still available and still playing, and they still have opportunities to represent Bangladesh. But to see that the team can continue to perform consistently without depending on those five players is extremely encouraging.
This current side is not reliant on one or two individuals. If the openers fail, you will see Shanto, Litton or Towhid Hridoy stepping up from the middle order. The responsibility is being shared equally. That, in my opinion, is a golden period for Bangladesh cricket.
I believe this progress will go even deeper. It should also send a strong message to players who dream of representing Bangladesh at the international level. Take Nahid Rana as an example. There is little left to say about him. We know he is quick, very good, accurate, a wicket-taker, a match-winner and a pace sensation.
But what about Mosaddek Hossain? Out of nowhere, he was given an opportunity and he almost single-handedly won the match. That is exactly the kind of transition I want to see, and, Inshallah, everyone wants to see it happen consistently.
We do not want these performances to be one-off occasions. We have now won four home series on the trot. Four. That is no joke. It does not matter who the opposition was. A win is a win against an international team. And against Australia, it was a fantastic way to start the series. Hopefully we can continue. That is the biggest transition for me.”
On the famous “Take that, Australia” line
“I don’t know. It just came out of the blue.
I was in the commentary box, but I was not on air at the time. I was actually walking around behind the scenes because we knew we were getting close to a victory. We could have lost it, we could have won it, we did not know. At one stage it felt like we would get over the line, but until it was decided, I was still very nervous.
When it finally happened, the producer asked me to go and say something. I had no plan and had not thought about it beforehand. The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘Take that, Australia.’ I just said it. It was simply an emotional reaction in the moment.
Darren Lehmann was my fellow commentator and he immediately said, ‘Ah, we are taking it.’”
On what the moment represented
“It is nothing about me. It is about all of them. It is always about the players. It is always about the groundsmen who work day and night to prepare a pitch like that. They made people understand that we can play on these wickets and we can win on them.
It has opened the door for youngsters to become fast bowlers, but it has also provided a testing environment for batters. They now have to learn how to survive early and then score runs on these tricky surfaces. That will improve Bangladesh cricket in that direction.
We have already seen huge improvement and we continue to see it. It is a beautiful sight for Bangladesh cricket.
We are not depending on one individual. We won through a collective effort. A team is made up of individuals, but this was a solid team performance.”
