After a 23‑year gap since their last Test in the country, Bangladesh travelled to Darwin and delivered a performance that rewrote history. The visitors not only won the match but did so by nine wickets, marking the first time the South Asian side has triumphed on Australian soil in the longest format of the game.
Bangladesh’s dominant first innings
Winning the toss, Bangladesh posted a formidable total of 426 runs in their first innings. The innings featured a century from Tanzid Hasan Tamim, who reached 101, and a solid contribution of 84 runs from Najmul Hossain Shanto. All‑rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz added a valuable 65 runs, reinforcing the team’s lead. Australia’s reply faltered at 198, with the most notable bowling figures belonging to Bangladesh’s fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, who claimed six wickets for 89 runs.
Australia’s fightback and Green’s century
In the second innings, Australia rallied, scoring 284 runs. Cameron Green, on debut in a home Test, recorded his maiden Test century, reaching 104 and briefly pulling Australia into a 56‑run advantage. However, the lead remained precarious. Green, along with fast bowler Mitchell Starc, attempted to push the total further, but a 43‑run partnership between them was broken when Taskin Ahmed dismissed Starc with a nick behind.
Green continued his innings, advancing to 85 by the lunch break on the fourth day. Yet his stay was cut short when he fell for 104, bowled by Hasan Mahmud, who completed the day’s wicket tally with figures of three for 56 in the innings and a match total of nine for 111.
Mehidy Miraz’s decisive spell
The turning point arrived when Mehidy Hasan Miraz unleashed a spell that dismantled Australia’s lower order. After earlier removing Alex Carey and Beau Webster with two sharp deliveries, Miraz claimed the wicket of fast bowler Pat Cummins, who edged a short‑leg catch while still trailing the required runs.
Miraz’s persistence paid off as he completed a five‑wicket haul, finishing with five for 66. His final wicket came when he trapped veteran spinner Nathan Lyon lbw, sealing the innings and leaving Australia with a modest target of 57 runs.
Bangladesh’s chase was swift and confident. Opening batsman Mominul Haque guided the innings, remaining unbeaten on 30, while Shadman Islam contributed without losing his wicket. The team reached the target with the loss of only one wicket, securing a nine‑wicket victory that silenced any lingering doubts about their competitiveness after a recent low‑scoring encounter against a Cricket Australia XI.
The win not only highlighted Bangladesh’s growing depth in both batting and bowling but also underscored Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s rising stature. The five‑for marked his 15th such achievement in Test cricket, complementing the 65‑run innings he had delivered a day earlier.
In summary, the match featured a total of 1,211 runs across four innings, with notable performances including Tanzid Hasan Tamim’s 101, Cameron Green’s 104, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s all‑round contribution of 65 runs and five wickets. Bangladesh’s historic triumph adds a new chapter to their cricketing narrative and signals a shift in the balance of power in Test cricket, especially on traditionally dominant Australian pitches.
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