Bangladesh thrash Australia in one of Test cricket’s greatest results
Bangladesh completed a stunning nine-wicket victory over Australia in the first Test in Darwin on Sunday, securing the country’s first win on Australian soil and only their second triumph in history against the top-ranked red-ball side.
After making a vital 65 with the bat in Bangladesh’s first innings, Mehidy Hasan Miraz took five wickets in Australia’s second to restrict the hosts to a lead of just 56 runs. Australia were bowled out for 284 midway through the afternoon session at the Marrara Oval.
It was a significant victory given the wider context surrounding Bangladeshi cricket. The team had withdrawn from the T20 World Cup in India earlier this year for political reasons and in the warm-up fixture before this Test they were bowled out for 54 by a Cricket Australia XI.
For Australia it is a hugely bruising defeat, which signifies the need for some changes, especially in the batting line-up. The opener Jake Weatherald and No3 Marnus Labuschagne are under particular pressure for their places.
Pat Cummins, the Australia captain, said there were “no excuses” and hinted that changes would be considered before the second Test in Mackay next weekend. Josh Inglis, who played in the Brisbane and Adelaide Tests during the most recent Ashes series, is the reserve batsman in the squad.
“They outplayed us in all facets,” Cummins said. “I thought they were really patient and disciplined. Once we were behind, it was really hard to get back.”
Weatherald, the Darwin-born left-hander, has only played six Tests, but is averaging 20.36 and will probably be given the second Test to try and prove himself before Australia look elsewhere. Matthew Renshaw and Sam Konstas are two options that could join Travis Head at the top of the order.
Labuschagne is of more concern. He has not made a Test century for three years and scored only 259 runs at 28.77 during Australia’s previous home Test summer.
“We’ll sit down and have a think — the selectors will have a think about: is there something that is going to take us forward, or is it something that is starting to become a trend that we think needs to be changed?” Cummins said.
Bangladesh suffered some early nerves in their chase when Josh Hazlewood dismissed the first-innings centurion Tanzid Hasan for a five-ball duck, but Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque held their composure to reach the target in 14.2 overs, sparking wild celebrations within the contingent of Bangladesh fans seated behind the team dugout on the boundary.
This is the biggest win so far for Bangladesh in any format, their captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, said. “We will do something special in the future.”
The all-rounder Cameron Green scored his third Test century, and his first in Australia, making a composed 104 from 201 deliveries to lead the Australian second-innings resistance.
It was a thoroughly deserved result for Bangladesh, who had outplayed Australia for much of the Test after Cummins won the toss and elected to bat.
