New Delhi: Sobhana Mostary etched her name in the history books by scoring a magnificent century against Australia during the second ODI at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Sunday, October 11. Coming to the crease after her side suffered a disastrous start, she became the first Bangladesh woman to register an ODI century against Australia. Her maiden hundred also elevated her to an exclusive group, making her only the third Bangladesh woman to ever score an ODI century, joining teammates Farzana Hoque Pinky and Nigar Sultana Joty.
Mostary entered the game after Bangladesh collapsed to 8/3 inside eight overs after being asked to bat first. Australian pacers Megan Schutt and Kim Garth wreaked early havoc, removing the top order and leaving the visitors searching for an urgent rescue act. Showing immense composure and technical skill, Mostary combined with captain Nigar Sultana Joty to steady the innings.
The pair slowly rebuilt the momentum before launching a counter-attack against the bowling lineup. Mostary reached her half-century off 66 deliveries before accelerating to bring up her milestone century off 123 balls. She ultimately concluded her innings with 118 runs from 134 deliveries, cracking 18 boundaries in a display of patience and resilience.
Joty provided stellar support at the other end, rotating the strike effectively and remaining unbeaten on 74 as Bangladesh finished their innings at 220/6. Together, Mostary and Joty stitched together a record-breaking 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket, setting a new benchmark for the highest partnership for any wicket against Australia in women's one-day internationals.
Beyond the women's game, Mostary's feat placed her alongside Mahmudullah and Tanzid Hasan Tamim as the only Bangladeshi batters to score a century in Australia. Her knock of 118 also surpassed Fargana Hoque's previous national record of 107, making it the highest individual score by a Bangladesh woman in ODI history.
Despite the heroics from Bangladesh, Australia responded decisively in the chase. Georgia Voll struck an unbeaten 131 and shared a 162-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield, who contributed 70 runs. The hosts chased down the target in 28.1 overs to secure a nine-wicket victory and claim the series with a match to spare. Even with the loss, Mostary's record-breaking century and partnership provided a historic highlight for Bangladesh cricket on their tour.