Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty has chosen to look beyond a 3-0 ODI series defeat in Australia, insisting that her side’s historic maiden bilateral white-ball tour has delivered lessons, milestones and confidence that can shape their immediate future. Despite losing all three matches between 9 and 14 October, Bangladesh returned home with evidence that they can compete with the world’s best when their batting and bowling combine.
The tour concluded with an eight-wicket defeat in the third and final ODI at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Wednesday, 14 October. Bangladesh were bowled out for 172 in 49.5 overs, with Sharmin Akhter (50 off 93 balls) and Shorna Akter (54 off 71 balls) striking half-centuries to give the innings respectability. Australia, however, made light work of the chase, reaching 175/2 in just 22.4 overs to complete the clean sweep.
For Nigar Joty, the result was disappointing, but not without meaning. Bangladesh’s first bilateral ODI series in Australia exposed the gulf in experience against an elite opponent, yet it also produced performances that underlined the team’s growing depth. “Each and every game, one of the players came up for the team, and we have taken a lot of positives from here and will implement them in the future. We will take a lot of learnings from this series,” Joty said.
The second ODI provided the tour’s defining moment. Sobhana Mostary struck 118, the highest individual score by a Bangladesh batter in Women’s ODIs, to become the first player from her country to score a century against Australia. Her innings anchored Bangladesh’s recovery after early losses and formed a 195-run partnership with Joty, also Bangladesh’s highest stand in Women’s ODIs.
Mostary finished as Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer and the third-highest run-getter of the series, aggregating 129 runs at an average of 43 and a strike rate of 73.71 across three innings. Her century was not merely a personal milestone; it was a statement that Bangladesh’s middle order can build substantial innings against top-tier attacks.
Joty was equally encouraged by the emergence of young pace bowlers. Habiba Islam made her ODI debut in the series opener and returned Bangladesh’s best figures of the match, taking 2/36 in six overs after removing Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney. Disha Biswas then made her first ODI appearance in the finale and dismissed Mooney, who was playing her 100th ODI. “We have seen a few young players do well. We had two debutants as well. It was challenging for them, but they gave their 100 percent in the middle,” Joty added.
That willingness to front up in unfamiliar conditions will matter as Bangladesh turn their attention to the ICC Women’s Championship. They currently sit eighth in the standings with one win from six matches, making the upcoming tour of New Zealand a crucial opportunity to collect points and strengthen their position.
Before that, Bangladesh will feature in the second edition of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy in Thailand from 12 November to 25 November. The tournament offers a valuable platform to sharpen skills, test combinations and build momentum ahead of a demanding white-ball tour of New Zealand from 10 to 23 December. That New Zealand assignment, led by Amelia Kerr, includes a three-match T20I series followed by a three-match ODI series, with the ODI leg beginning on 18 December. For Joty, it represents another chance to translate the positives from Australia into tangible results.
The tour also carried personal significance. Joty had announced her decision to step down as Bangladesh’s T20I captain on 15 September, ahead of the Asian Games in Japan from 17 to 22 September. Her final stint as T20I skipper ended without a medal after Bangladesh’s defeat to Pakistan, led by Fatima Sana. Yet in the 50-over format, her leadership remains central to Bangladesh’s ambitions.
Australia’s superiority was clear across the series, but Bangladesh’s ability to produce individual performances, Mostary’s history-making century, Sharmin and Shorna’s fifties, and the promise of Habiba and Disha, offers a foundation. The challenge now is consistency: converting flashes of excellence into collective performances capable of challenging stronger sides.
Joty’s message was measured rather than defensive. Bangladesh may have left Australia without a win, but they leave with belief, data and experience. In a squad still finding its identity at the highest level, those are assets worth building on.
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