Australia vs Bangladesh: Tigers Seal Historic First Test Win on Australian Soil

Bangladesh have scripted history by registering a nine-wicket win over Australia in the first test at Darwin. This is their first ever victory on Australian soil and only their second test win against a top-ranking team.

The win was largely centred around a dominant performance with both bat and ball by their star all-rounder, Mehidy Hasan Miraz. After scoring a critical half-century in Bangladesh’s first innings, he claimed five wickets in the Australian second innings, ensuring that the hosts folded out cheaply and set only a modest target for the visitors.

Resuming their batting on day 4 at 161 for 4, Australia were eventually all out for 284, setting a target of 57 runs for Bangladesh. For the hosts, Cameron Green was the start of the show, he gave his team solid resistance and enroute completed his third test century on home soil. He made a well-composed 104 from 201 deliveries, but even his hard toil at the crease could not prevent Australia from suffering a defeat.

Coming out to chase 57 runs in the last innings, Bangladesh had a shaky start as they lost their first-innings centurion, Tanzid Hasan for zero and the team was reduced to five for 1 wicket. However, Shadman Islam and Mominul Hasan steadied the ship and overcame the target; remaining unbeaten on 25 and 30 respectively and taking Bangladesh 1-0 up in the two-match series.

The win sparked wild celebrations in the Bangladesh camp and amongst their supporters at the ground who gathered behind their team at their dugout. Mehidy Hasan was at the centre of the Aussie collapse on day 4 of the match. His spell spanning across either side of the lunch proved to be decisive for Bangladesh.

He first removed Aussie keeper, Alex Carey for 30 and then produced a beauty to remove Beau Webster, reducing Australia 193 for 6, still trailing Bangladesh by 35 runs. Post lunch, the spinner completed his five-wicket haul, bringing an end to the Australian innings at 284.

The defeat comes as a major setback for Australian and one of the most embarrassing home reversers in the team’s 149-year test history. For Bangladesh though the result marks only their second win over Australia, following their maiden way back in 2017 in their own backyard in Dhaka.