Can Bangladesh give Australia a run for its money?

Australia and Bangladesh, the former chasing perfection and the latter yearning consistency, lock horns in a league clash of the Women’s World Cup at the ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Thursday.

The Aussies come into this contest on the back of the most successful chase in ODIs. While captain Alyssa Healy’s century powered that win, the batting unit is yet to fire in unison so far.

Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney registered triple-figure scores after collapses against New Zealand and Pakistan, respectively, to help Australia remain unbeaten so far. Annabel Sutherland admitted that the team is searching for the perfect game heading into the business end of the tournament.

While a batting track awaits the teams, bowlers have been able to extract seam movement and turn from the surface. On a day where more than 650 runs were scored, Sutherland and Shree Charani showed that the right line and length can stifle even the world’s best.

Bangladesh, riding on its superior bowling arsenal, has put up heartening performances. Against South Africa, the batting too stepped up, even if the scoring rate left a lot to be desired.

In 18-year-old Shorna Akhter, the team has found a player whose power-hitting will give it confidence in setting a competitive target or chasing one down.

While the forecast predicts clear skies, heat and humidity will bring dew into play.

Will it be another case of so near yet so far for Bangladesh, or can Nigar Sultana’s spirited side finally pull off an upset in this World Cup? A slow, tantalising cracker potentially awaits.