Wow!! This was probably the biggest upset in the history of one-day cricket. The team that is ranked last in the international ratings (by a long way) beat the team that has been on the top ever since the ratings were introduced.

Just think about it… It is somewhat like a Division 2 side in the English league defeating Brazil in football! Consider Bangladesh’s record before this match. Played – 109, Won – 9, Lost – 96. The odds of Australia loosing was tipped at 500 to 1 by Ladbrokes! Now that puts it into perspective doesn’t it?

I have always been a strong critic of Bangladesh. I never understood why the team was allowed to play at the highest level of cricket. It never seemed like they were even trying to win a match. But however yesterday’s performance was just so good. It wasn’t as if the Australians didn’t score any runs. Bangladesh had to chase a fairly good total of 250. Honestly before their innings started I wasn’t expecting them to cross even 200. But what a performance by the young team. They just withstood all the pressure against probably the best bowling attack in the world. Amazing!

I just hope this isn’t just a one-off. They are a very young side. People have already started drawing analogies with Sri Lanka, who were once a struggling side like Bangladesh and in the end managed to win the world cup in 1996. I think it’s a bit too pre-mature for that. But still this victory will immensely improve their confidence and more importantly will earn them some respect.

Further reading:

• Scorecard (Cricinfo)
• Match Reports : Rediff | ABC Sport | Bloomberg
• Cricinfo – Ten biggest one-day upsets