DARWIN: Bangladesh chased down 57 runs to complete a landmark nine-wicket victory over Australia in the series opener in Darwin on Sunday in one of Test cricket’s greatest upsets.
Mominul Haque cut Beau Webster to the fence to seal Bangladesh’s first Test win in Australia within four days in stifling heat at Marrara Oval, foiling a valiant century from home all-rounder Cameron Green.
The winning boundary triggered jubilation among Bangladesh’s players, who jumped and shouted on the sidelines.
“This is the biggest win so far for Bangladesh in any format,” said Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. “Going forward, we want to do something special in the future.”
Flooring a full-strength Australia, the world’s top-ranked Test nation in their own backyard, will be regarded by many as the South Asian nation’s finest victory in 26 years of playing the game’s longest format.
It took 23 years for Australia to host Bangladesh in a second Test series since sweeping them 2-0 in 2003, so Najmul’s side were determined to prove their worth.
They did far more than that, as they dominated the World Test Championship leaders with bat, ball and in the field in virtually every session.
MEHIDI MAGIC
Bangladesh had heroes throughout the match, but on day four it was spin-bowling all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz striking the decisive blows as Australia were bowled out for 284.
Having scored 65 with the bat in Bangladesh’s first innings and caught-and-bowled Australia’s usual saviour Steve Smith for 44 on day three, Mehidy took another four wickets on the final day after the hosts resumed on 161 for four, still 67 runs in arrears.
“It was excellent, a great moment for us,” a croaky-voiced Mehidy said. “The way we are playing shows our character. Everything was perfect.
“I think everyone is happy back home.”
It was an extraordinary turnaround in form for ninth-ranked Bangladesh, who just over a week ago were bowled out for 54 in their practice match against a Cricket Australia XI in Darwin. In June, they were thrashed by Zimbabwe, the lowest of cricket’s 10 ranked Test-playing nations, in a one-off match in Harare.
Mehidy said his team stayed upbeat despite the buildup.
“We’ve been working hard together. And we thought, yes, this is a great opportunity for us … coming a second time to Australia after a long time.”
The grinning 28-year-old had wicket-keeper Alex Carey caught behind for 30 and bowled all-rounder Webster for five with sumptuous deliveries to bring Australia’s tail into play on Sunday.
He had home captain Pat Cummins caught in close with a bat-pad catch for eight before wrapping up the innings by trapping fellow spinner Nathan Lyon lbw for 15.
In between, Mitchell Starc dug in with Green for a defiant eighth wicket partnership of 43 but was caught behind for 18 off the bowling of fellow seamer Taskin Ahmed.
Green held on to raise his third Test century and first on home soil after lunch with two runs off Taskin.
It was a timely response to critics of his place in the side, but Green ended up playing onto his stumps on 104, becoming Hasan Mahmud’s ninth wicket for the match.
Green’s departure was game over for Australia, leaving tailenders Lyon and Josh Hazlewood clinging to the last wicket and a 50-run lead.
With clumps of delirious Bangladesh fans chanting between every ball, opener Shadman Islam (25 not out) and number three Mominul (30 not out) mowed down the victory target in 14.2 overs, with the tourists finishing on 57 for one.
Opener Tanzid Hasan was bowled by Hazlewood for a duck but may hardly care, having scored a majestic 101 to help Bangladesh put 426 on the board in reply to Australia’s paltry first-innings 198.
Cummins said he felt the match was lost on day one when, Smith aside, Australia’s batters failed against the Bangladesh pacers, who were inspired by a six-wicket haul from Hasan.
“We had to find a way to bat longer and then we couldn’t penetrate with the ball,” said Cummins. “They outplayed us in all facets, they were patient and disciplined.”
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 198 (S. Smith 71; Hasan Mahmud 6-55)
BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 426 (Tanzid Hasan 101, Najmul Hossain 84; J. Hazlewood 6-89)
AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings, overnight 161-4):
T. Head b Hasan17
J. Weatherald b Hasan0
M. Labuschagne b Taijul31
S. Smith c&b Mehidy44
C. Green b Hasan104
A. Carey c Litton b Mehidy30
B. Webster b Mehidy5
P. Cummins c Shadman b Mehidy8
M. Starc c Litton b Taskin18
N. Lyon lbw b Mehidy15
J. Hazlewood not out0
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-6, NB-5)12
TOTAL (all out, 95.1 overs)284
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Weatherald), 2-37 (Head), 3-73 (Labuschagne), 4-122 (Smith), 5-178 (Carey), 6-193 (Webster), 7-207 (Cummins), 8-250 (Starc), 9-278 (Green)
BOWLING: Taskin 18-3-66-1 (4nb), Hasan 19-3-56-3, Ebadot 8-0-38-0 (1nb), Taijul 17-1-51-1, Mehidy 33.1-6-66-5
BANGLADESH (2nd Innings):
Shadman Islam not out25
Tanzid Hasan b Hazlewood0
Mominul Haque not out30
EXTRAS (LB-2)2
TOTAL (for one wicket, 14.2 overs)57
DID NOT BAT: Najmul Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain
FALL OF WICKET: 1-4 (Tanzid)
BOWLING: Starc 4-0-15-0, Hazlewood 3-1-5-1, Lyon 5-0-23-0, Webster 2.2-0-12-0
RESULT: Bangladesh won by nine wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Hasan Mahmud
Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026