By Alex Rivera | October 16, 2025 | Visakhapatnam, India

Under the relentless Vizag sun at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, where the humid air clung like a challenge, Bangladesh’s women’s cricket team turned a daunting script into a saga of sheer audacity. Captain Nigar Sultana Joty’s decision to bat first after winning the toss wasn’t just a gamble—it was a declaration of intent. What followed was a gritty 198/9, Bangladesh’s highest-ever ODI total against Australia, fueled by Sobhana Mostary’s unbeaten 66—a knock that blended resilience with rare flair. As Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield unleashed a blistering opening stand, racing to 105/0 in 15 overs, the defending champions asserted their pedigree. Yet, in this ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 thriller, the Tigresses didn’t just compete; they inspired. This wasn’t a rout—it was a rallying cry for the underdogs, proving women’s cricket’s true pulse lies in the fight, not the finish.

Image: Sobhana Mostary anchors Bangladesh with an unbeaten 66, her pull shot echoing the Tigresses’ unyielding spirit. (Credit: @mysportswiz on X)

The Underdog’s Gambit: Toss, Tactics, and Early Sparks

Bangladesh entered this clash battered but unbroken, their tournament ledger reading one win (a tense thriller over South Africa) and three defeats. Slipping to sixth on the points table, semi-final dreams hung by a thread. Joty, reading the pitch’s early seam-friendly bite and later spin assistance, backed her top order to build patiently. "We’re here to fight, not fold,” she said post-toss, a sentiment that rippled through the squad.

Australia, unbeaten juggernauts after a record 331-run chase against India—led by Healy’s 142—arrived as overwhelming favorites. Their 4-0 ODI head-to-head over Bangladesh loomed large, but whispers of fatigue from a grueling schedule added intrigue. Healy, captaining with the poise of a veteran, rotated her seamers early: Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown probing the edges, Annabel Sutherland hunting swing. Yet, Bangladesh’s openers, Fargana Hoque and debutant Rubya Haider Jhelik, absorbed the pressure like seasoned warriors. Haider’s 44 off 59—punctuated by crisp boundaries off Brown—laid a 74/1 platform in 18 overs, her footwork a masterclass in calculated aggression.

Mostary’s Masterpiece: From Brink to Breakthrough

The middle overs tested Bangladesh’s mettle, as Australia’s spinners wove a web of control. Georgia Wareham’s miserly five overs—six runs, two wickets (Ritu Moni and Rabeya Khan)—pinched the scoring rate, slumping the Tigresses to 162/8. Enter Sobhana Mostary, the 25-year-old enigma whose second ODI fifty (and second in this World Cup) transformed despair into defiance. Her 66* off 80 balls wasn’t explosive; it was exquisite endurance—flicked boundaries off Ashleigh Gardner, a pulled six against Schutt to milestone her fifty, and deft rotations that milked 28 runs from the final three overs.

Dropped twice in the slog—once by Sutherland at long-on, another parried to the rope by Wareham—Mostary capitalized, becoming the first Bangladeshi woman to score 50+ against Australia in ODIs. Supported by Nigar (28) and Fahima Khatun (19), she dragged her side to respectability. Alana King (2/18) and Sutherland (2 wickets) stemmed the flow, but Bangladesh’s refusal to crumble marked a milestone: their first World Cup innings unbeaten by Australia. X lit up: "Mostary’s 66* is pure fire—Bangladesh just made Aussies sweat! #TigressesRoar,” tweeted @cricketimpluse, capturing the global buzz.

Image: Mostary’s unbeaten knock powers Bangladesh to 198/9—their highest against Australia. (Credit: @cricketimpluse on X)

Australia’s Powerplay Pounce: Healy and Litchfield’s Onslaught

If Bangladesh’s innings was a siege, Australia’s chase was a demolition. Openers Healy and Litchfield tore into the new ball, amassing 105/0—the tournament’s quickest team fifty. Litchfield, the 18-year-old prodigy, blazed 52* off 50, her two fours in Fariha Trisna’s fifth over a statement of intent. Healy, chasing her fourth World Cup fifty, motored to 48* off 45, her chipped single off Trisna marking the landmark. Run rate? A scorching 7+.

Bangladesh’s attack—debutant Trisna’s swing, Rabeya Khan and Fahima’s spin—fought valiantly, but Australia’s depth shone. Beth Mooney’s earlier sharp catch off Sutherland haunted the Tigresses, and as Healy lofted a cover drive, the scoreboard screamed inevitability. "AUS making 199 look like a warm-up—Healy-Litchfield duo is unstoppable,” posted @thecriccircle, with a snapshot of the flying openers.

Image: Australia races to 105/0, with Healy and Litchfield dismantling Bangladesh’s bowling. (Credit: @thecriccircle on X)

Pivotal Clashes: Where the Battle Lines Were Drawn

• Mostary vs Wareham: The spin saga—Wareham’s chokehold vs Mostary’s late flourish. A dropped chance off Gardner handed Mostary the edge, turning potential collapse into comeback.
• Haider vs Brown: Haider’s powerplay punches (two boundaries) vs Brown’s fiery riposte—her 44 set the tone before a top-edged dismissal.
• Healy vs Trisna: The debutant’s debut over leaked runs, but Healy’s reprieves early amplified Australia’s cruise.

Batter	Team	Runs	Balls	Strike Rate	Highlight
Sobhana Mostary	BAN	66*	80	82.50	Pulled six for fifty; first 50+ vs AUS by a Bangladeshi
Rubya Haider	BAN	44	59	74.58	Two powerplay fours off Brown
Phoebe Litchfield	AUS	52*	50	104.00	Tournament’s quickest team 100 contributor
Alyssa Healy	AUS	48*	45	106.67	19th ODI fifty; chipped milestone off Trisna

The Bigger Canvas: Elevating Women’s Cricket’s Narrative

Beyond the numbers, this match etched history: Bangladesh’s highest vs Australia, a testament to associate nations’ ascent amid juggernauts. Viewership soared—ICC reported record spikes during Mostary’s vigil—underscoring women’s cricket’s surge. On X, reactions flooded: from @IndianSportFan’s innings-break clip ("Tigresses fight back!”) to global awe at Australia’s chases. As Healy eyes another ton, Bangladesh departs with pride intact, their grit a blueprint for upsets ahead.

Australia’s streak endures, but at what price? Respect, hard-earned. In a World Cup of chases and champions, this chapter roared of possibility. Who’s ready for the encore?

Alex Rivera is a senior cricket editor at Global Sports Wire, with over a decade covering women’s internationals. Follow for more #CWC25 dispatches. #AUSvBAN #WomensCricketRising #Tigresses

(Live updates via Star Sports and ICC; stats from ESPNcricinfo. Images sourced from X for fair use in editorial context.)