Bangladesh will show no fear even up against red-hot Australia

NICK HOWSON: This might, on the face of it, be a dead rubber towards the end of the group stage but the contest holds plenty of value for Nigar Sultana's emerging side

If you're looking for substantive evidence of Bangladesh women's ascent up the international cricket ladder, a glance at captain Nigar Sultana's pre-match comments prior to the clash with Australia would give you a pretty good insight.

The Tigresses are in New Zealand for more than to just make up the numbers. It has been about testing themselves against new opponents, in a high-pressure environment and learning more about their own game.

Alongside maiden one-day international outings against the host nation, Australia and England, victory over Pakistan delivered a first 50-over World Cup win.

While things haven't gone to plan with the bat, there have been some standout displays with the ball. Ritu Moni leads the way with six wickets, Salma Khatun and Jahanara Alam have five each while the frugal Rumana Ahmed and Nahida Akter have four.

Indeed, it has been the spin battery of Akter as well as Salma and Fahima Khatun that has impressed the most.

Sultana now wants to see both halves of Bangladesh's game come together. They've failed to break 200 in three of their five group matches and no player has more than the 154 runs accumulated by Fargana Hoque.

^{Fargana Hoque is currently Bangladesh's top-scorer with the bat (Getty Images)}

"What we will do and what we need to work the most on is to fix our batting unit," the skipper said. "So, it has become very important. 

"It turns out that bowlers tried to restrict the opponents to a decent score in all the last matches we played but somehow we couldn't support them with our batting unit because the top order collapsed. 

"So, those scores were not achievable or at least we could go even closer to those matches. Now we have discussed among ourselves how we can play or plan so that our batting unit can come back to the track. 

"And now every one of us expects the batting to bounce back. 

"Of course, Australia is the strongest team and so far they are in a very good position in the tournament. But still, I think that if we can do well in both units, I think we can fight them very well."

Ensuring Bangladesh's batting can back up their bowling efforts won't be just key to running Australia or England close, but it'll be vital to their continued development.

"It's exciting for them to be a part of their first 50-over World Cup and I mean, for me personally, I'm a bit of a cricket snuff."

Having missed out on qualification for the Commonwealth Games, they'll be keen to ensure the same fate doesn't befall them at the T20 World Cup qualifier later in the year.

"I basically think that a particular day is very important," added Sultana. "You cannot really predict what is going to happen in cricket. 

"The game of cricket is a matter of momentum. The team which can actually get the momentum and can hold it and carry it till the end exactly on that day, and minimises the mistakes (wins)."

As well as being the first ODI between Australia and Bangladesh, the sides have only met once before in a T20 game at the last World Cup in 2020.

On that occasion, Meg Lanning's side ran out comfortable winners by 86 runs in Canberra.

Jess Jonassen (Marty Melville/Getty Images)

Jess Jonassen, part of the side that day just over two years ago, is excited by the prospect of facing Bangladesh in the 50-over format for the first time.

"It's exciting for them to be a part of their first 50-over World Cup and I mean, for me personally, I'm a bit of a cricket snuff," said the spinner, whose Australia side have already qualified for the knock-out phase as group winners.

"I've been watching almost every game of the World Cup and I think yeah, I've taken a bit from that. 

"And we have different sort of small group planning meetings, based on our speciality within the squad and so we use that as some information gathering and information sharing as well.

"And I think 50-over cricket, it allows you to sort of adapt on the run a little bit as well.

"It's going to be an exciting challenge and something that we're really looking forward to."