Australia register unwanted ODI hat-trick vs BAN and PAK, equal record for consecutive 0-run opening partnerships

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Australia register unwanted ODI hat-trick vs BAN and PAK, equal record for consecutive 0-run opening partnerships originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Australia has registered three consecutive 0-run opening partnerships in men's ODIs, equalling New Zealand's 2015 record.
  • Matthew Short is the common factor across all three, having opened alongside Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, and Cooper Connolly, respectively.
  • The sequence spans Australia's final two ODIs against Pakistan in Lahore and the first ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur

Australia registers an unwanted ODI hat-trick vs BAN and PAK, equal record for consecutive 0-run opening partnerships

The Aussies entered the first ODI against Bangladesh with hopes of an easy win against the Tigers. Instead, it saw its top order crumbling under two overs, with Matthew Short going out for a duck while Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed in the very next over, trapped lbw by Mustafizur Rahman.

With this, they have stumbled into a very unlikely piece of history, becoming the third team in ODI history to go for a hat-trick of matches with an opening partnership scoring zero runs. Their stumble began in the second ODI against Pakistan, continued in the 3rd ODI, and now extends to the opening match against Bangladesh.

The common thread across all three instances is opener Matthew Short, who has now featured in consecutive golden duck opening partnerships with three different partners. Carey departed first ball in Lahore's 2nd ODI, Inglis followed in the 3rd at the same venue, and Connolly continued the streak at Mirpur on Tuesday.

The top-order collapse cost Australia the series against Pakistan, and now, with the Bangladeshi pacers wreaking havoc on the Aussie batsmen, this series is also in danger. 

MORE:How to watch BAN vs AUS ODI series 2026 live: Start time, TV channels and streaming details worldwide

Mitchell Marsh is already sidelined through injury, and Travis Head has been granted leave from the entire tour, leaving Josh Inglis to captain an inexperienced group in challenging subcontinent conditions.

Most consecutive ODI innings with 0-run opening partnerships

InningsTeamYear4Papua New Guinea20223New Zealand20153*Australia

2026

Short's consecutive opening duck streak

Matthew Short's duck streak is perhaps the most concerning issue the Aussies will need to address after the first match concludes. Twice, he was the man dismissed without scoring a single run, while Carey went out for a duck himself in the third ODI against Pakistan. Short's predicament is particularly unusual.

The right-hander has been pressed into ODI opening duties in the absence of Australia's frontline batters, adding context to the team's broader structural frailties at the top of the order. It also speaks volumes about both Australia's makeshift top order and the quality of pace attacks they have faced.

The Bottom Line: What Pace bowlers have exposed Australia's depleted top-order

In Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf led the new-ball threat that dismissed Australia's openers for ducks in both Lahore games, while Taskin Ahmed struck early at Mirpur to extend the streak across two different countries and two different opposition attacks.

Papua New Guinea's record of four consecutive 0-run opening partnerships, set in 2022, remains the all-time ODI mark. Australia, five-time ODI World Cup winners, will be desperate to arrest the slide in the 2nd ODI in Mirpur before the sequence attracts any further unwanted attention.

The recurring theme speaks to a deeper structural issue within Australia's ODI setup during a transitional period without their established leaders. With the 2027 ODI World Cup in the back of their minds, the selectors will need to find a more settled opening combination considerably sooner rather than later.

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