Report Jun 11, 2026

Australia opt to bat, Meredith called in, Soumya returns

By Imran Malik · 1 min read

Australia Opt to Bat, Meredith Called In, Soumya Returns

Australia have won the toss and chosen to bat first in the second ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka, with some surprising team changes making for an intriguing contest. Riley Meredith has been included in the Australian team for his first ODI in five years, replacing Liam Scott who made his debut in the first ODI.

Meredith, who was added to the squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh on the morning of the match, has been activated ahead of today’s match. Australia have also listed Marnus Labuschagne, who has been struggling for form, to bat at No 7.

The home side have brought in Soumya Sarkar to open in place of Saif Hassan, who hasn’t scored many in the ODIs. The pitch is a different one than the first game where Inglis chose to bowl first after winning the toss.

Team Lineups

Bangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Tawhid Hridoy, 5 Litton Das (wk), 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 8 Taskin Ahmed, 9 Mustafizur Rahman, 10 Nahid Rana, 11 Tanvir Islam

Australia: 1 Matt Short, 2 Cooper Connolly, 3 Josh Inglis (capt, wk), 4 Alex Carey, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Matthew Renshaw, 7 Marnus Labuschagne, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Riley Meredith, 11 Adam Zampa

READ: Dominant Debut: Manav Suthar six-for rolls Afghanistan over for 152

Imran Malik

Imran Malik is a senior sports correspondent for Dawn, and one of Pakistan’s most authoritative voices on cricket. A proud alumnus of the University of the Punjab, he has spent more than a decade covering the men in green—from the raw energy of Lahore’s club grounds to World Cup semi-finals. Imran is particularly known for his deep technical knowledge of fast bowling and his unflinching analysis of Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure. His writing blends sharp observation with a historian’s eye, capturing both the glory and the grit of the game. A regular contributor to Dawn’s sports desk and a familiar face on news panel shows, Imran has been recognized with the Agahi Award and his paper’s own Excellence Award. He remains passionately committed to unearthing the next generation of Pakistani sporting talent.