Bangladesh vs Australia 1st Test Full Commentary

We are back for Bangladesh's reply! Shadman Islam and Tanzid Hasan are the two openers for the visitors. Mitchell Starc has the new Kookaburra and will get us underway again. Three slips and a gully waiting for Shadman. Here we go...

... SECOND INNINGS ...

The Tigers turn up the heat - The Tigers have roared, and how, with their pacers doing all the talking. Relentless from the first ball to the last, Bangladesh’s seamers kept Australia under pressure throughout, with Hasan Mahmud leading the charge with career-best figures of 6/55. Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain also played their part, sharing four wickets between them. Taijul Islam was not quite at his best, but Bangladesh barely felt his absence. Now comes the challenge for their batters, who are new to these conditions and face a formidable Australian attack. Join us in a bit for the second innings.

Man of the moment - Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud is up for a quick chat with Adam Gilchrist. On his six-wicket haul, he says he was genuinely excited to play in Australia, calling them one of the best sides in the world, and adds that he simply tried to stick to his lines and lengths while following the instructions his captain gave him. When asked about the contributions from his fellow bowlers, he keeps it simple, saying they did a great job too. On his experience playing red-ball county cricket, he calls it a great learning experience playing in England, adding that he hopes to continue turning out for Kent going forward.

Smith's lone fight in Darwin - Australia looked rusty with the bat from the outset. The openers stitched together a 45-run stand, but it never looked convincing, and Bangladesh soon had them reeling at 74/4. Steve Smith held one end together despite getting a few lives, with his 55-run stand with Carey after Lunch proving crucial in preventing further damage. Smith battled his way to a fighting 71, but with partners falling around him and little support from the lower order, Australia could not even cross 200.

6 am GMT - Australia rolled over for 198 - Bangladesh have produced a superb bowling display to bowl Australia out for just 198, capping an impressive effort in conditions they are experiencing for the first time. It could have been even better, but they will gladly take this position. Australia will be disappointed with their effort, although their world-class bowling attack will make sure to make this a daunting total. The stage is now set for an intriguing response from the hosts.

Josh Hazlewood is the last man in.

Welcome back for Australia's second batting stint. The pitch has been excellent for batting and the hosts will try to shrug off their first inning struggles and start afresh. Well, it is easier said than done, especially after toiling in the heat for 138 overs. The Tigers have spring in their steps as the players of Bangladesh spread out to take their fielding spots. On the other hand, the Aussie opening pair - Travis Head and Jake Weatherald - take their sweet time to reach the crease. Taskin Ahmed has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Head is on strike, with three slips and a gully in place. Here we go...

... THIRD INNINGS ...

Crucial sessions ahead for survival - The next couple of sessions of the day are set to dictate the entire course of this Test match as Australia start their second innings under immense pressure. Facing a massive 228-run deficit, the hosts need an exceptionally strong response from their top order to dig themselves out of trouble. To put the visitors back on the defensive and set up a competitive target, Australia will, at a bare minimum, need a total of 400 runs in this second dig. The pitch condition and the scoreboard pressure mean their batters must show immense discipline to deny a confident Bangladeshi bowling attack looking for blood. Back in a bit with Australia's batting reply. Stay tuned.

Defiant lower-order partnership frustrates hosts - The defining period of frustration for the Australian team came courtesy of a gritty 7-wicket stand between Hasan Mahmud and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. While a 46-run partnership might seem modest on paper, the duo ground down the bowling attack by consuming 170 balls together. Australia's bowling unit put in a decent shift overall, but ultimately leaked more runs than they'd have liked. To sum up their toil, they turned to as many as eight different bowlers across the innings, Josh Hazlewood emerging as the pick of the attack with an outstanding six-wicket haul, while also completing 300 Test wickets en route. Mitchell Starc chipped in with a couple of scalps, while Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon picked up one apiece.

Tigers roar out loud - Replying to the hosts' first-innings total of 198, the visitors batted in their own merry way, with Tanzid Hasan stealing the spotlight by smashing a magnificent maiden Test century. Najmul Hossain Shanto played a rock-solid hand of 84 to anchor the top order, while Mominul Haque suffered heartbreak when he fell agonizingly short of his half-century on 49. Though Shadman Islam and Mushfiqur Rahim threw away promising starts, this overall batting display has firmly put the Tigers in the driver's seat, with just two batters getting out on single-digit scores.

3.36 am GMT - Advantage Bangladesh - It's a fairly rare sight to see Australia conceding a lead of 220 or more in Test cricket. In the recent past at least, that simply hasn't happened. But a number nine ranked Test nation, Bangladesh, has brought the Aussies, the number one ranked team in Test cricket, dare we say, on their knees.

Welcome back folks! Bangladesh openers - Shadman Islam and Tanzid Hasan, tasked with chasing 57, walk out to the middle. Mitchell Starc has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Shadman to face. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

The big man speaks - Cameron Green is up for a quick chat with the broadcasters. On scoring his third Test century, Cameron Green admits it's been a long couple of months, and it feels good to finally see some reward for the effort put in. On being asked about his celebration and what seemed like a visible sigh of relief, he agrees there's always a sense of danger lurking in Test cricket, especially when you are playing for Australia, where the demand to perform never really lets up. Getting a proper performance on the board, he says, feels good. On batting with a touch more positive intent this time around, Green says he simply went back to basics, to what had worked for him in the past. He admits he has been chopping and changing his game a bit too much recently, and returning to his old method paid off. On whether the bowlers can now produce a wholehearted response with the ball, Green hopes Starc can pull off something similar to what he managed in West Indies, and that the team will give everything they have got.

The Hasan duo does it for Bangladesh - For sure. Every time Bangladesh found themselves stewing in a spot of bother, either Hasan Mahmud or Mehidy Hasan Miraz stood up and produced the breakthrough the side needed. Though Mahmud missed out on a well-deserved 10-wicket match haul, Miraz ensured to keep the pressure from the other end and kept breaking through at crucial times for the team. Another positive for Bangladesh was just how alive they were in the field, throwing themselves at every ball, and that energy seeped through the entire side. Now then, Bangladesh stand on the verge of creating history by defeating Australia on their home soil and taking a 1-0 lead in this 2 Test match series. And they would hope to do it without any hiccups. Back in a bit with the chase. Please stay tuned.

Sunbeam through clouded sky - That's about the best way to describe how Cameron Green's 104 will feel for Australia. Still hugely insufficient in the grand scheme of things, though. But nothing should take away from the big man, who in all likelihood has saved his sinking place in the Test side with this one. If only the top order had stepped up and contributed through substantial scores, who knows, Australia might have been in the lead with three figures. Once again, the technical vulnerabilities got exposed for Weatherald and Head who could not lay a stable foundation. And while the likes of Smith and Labuschagne got their eye in and looked settled, they simply couldn't convert those starts into anything substantial, perishing at the most inopportune of moments.

The Tigers roar big - Indeed they have. From the very first day, Bangladesh have owned every single session right through to now. Sure, they have been tested here and there, but they have always found a way to fight back and reclaim control. Mehidy Hasan Miraz has the ball aloft as he completes his 15th five-wicket haul in his Test career. A simply brilliant bowling effort from Bangladesh has brought them right to the doorstep of history.

Review time! Lyon has sent it upstairs, challenging the on-field call of out for LBW. It did look mighty close out there though. In fact, both batters have already rushed off towards the boundary, waiting for the verdict to come through.

A great three-figure score for Green that will do him wonders. He is received with warm applause from his teammates and the crowd at the Marrara. Josh Hazlewood is the last batter in for Australia. Mahmud stands on the brink of a ten-wicket haul in the match, and time and again, whenever Bangladesh have found themselves crying out for a breakthrough, he has been the man to put his hand up and deliver in this Test.

With Australia's lead swelling up to 48 runs, there will surely be a touch of desperation in the Bangladeshi camp now. Hasan Mahmud (17-3-53-2) is summoned back into the attack, replacing Taskin Ahmed.

Giants slayed - Well then, Australia face one of their heaviest defeats in recent Test cricket memory. And there's plenty for them to untangle before they turn up for the second Test, with a series whitewash now a very real threat hanging over them. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will walk out with a spring in their step, and the emotions from this one won't be drying up anytime soon. This is a victory destined to be etched into their history for a long, long time to come. Both teams will now head towards Mackay for the second and final Test of this series. That match will be played at the Great Barrier Reef Arena, from Saturday, August 22nd, 2026. The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 12 am GMT. But our buildup begins well in advance. So do mark your presence for that as well. That's that from here, then. But for now, you can switch tabs to follow all the updates from the second day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India, currently ongoing in Galle. Cheers!

A watershed moment for Bangladesh cricket - This is what the victorious captain of Bangladesh, NAJMUL HOSSAIN SHANTO, says when he describes this historic win. Says he's extremely happy and proud of his boys, crediting his fast bowlers for stepping up and truly owning the match. On the emergence of pace bowlers in Bangladesh cricket, he calls it the single biggest shift the Test format has seen in the country. He recalls that five or six years ago, pacers weren't particularly drawn to Test cricket, largely because opportunities were limited, but says the last two or three years have seen the side play far more red ball cricket, giving the format the importance it deserves within the group. He then adds that the fast bowlers genuinely wanted to play and perform, driven by a hunger to be world-class, and credits senior figures like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque for encouraging and nurturing that mindset among the group. On Tanzid Hasan's knock, Shanto calls him an exciting talent, someone who usually plays with an attacking mindset in white ball cricket. Adds that he showed real character in this format by staying calm and judging the ball strictly on its merit. He says the belief in his ability to succeed in Tests was always there, and as a top order batter expected to create impact, he delivered exactly that in this game. On being asked where this win ranks in Bangladesh's cricketing history, he doesn't hesitate one bit. He calls it the biggest win the country has produced in any format, and says the belief now is that there's more special cricket still to come from this group going forward. On whether Bangladesh can back this up with another win in Mackay, Shanto says the evidence is there to suggest they can. He stresses it will come down to playing good cricket across all five days. He repeats that message deliberately, saying the process needs to be followed session by session, just as it was in this Test. Getting those same elements right, he says, is what will matter most heading into Mackay.

No excuses to hide behind - Are the immediate thoughts of the Australian captain PAT CUMMINS as he reflects on this crushing defeat. When he is asked about the areas to pinpoint from this defeat, he straightaway points to Day 1, saying that's where things really got away from them. Credits Bangladesh for simply playing better cricket, and admits their preparations heading into the match had been spot on. He acknowledges the Day 1 pitch had a few tricky patches, but underlines finding a way to bat longer through those was still on Australia to work out. On the bowling, he concedes the attack simply couldn't find the penetration needed to claw the game back. When he is asked about whether changes are on the cards for the second Test, Cummins mentions that the team will look at the matchups now that this game has wrapped up. Is quick to add that nothing has been decided just yet. He backs the group's ability to bounce back, saying comebacks are something Australia have shown they are good at. Stresses that the focus now shifts to regrouping, talking things through as a unit, and identifying where improvements need to be made. On Bangladesh's overall performance, he credits them for being patient and disciplined throughout, adding that once Australia fell behind in the contest, clawing their way back proved genuinely difficult. When asked about Hazlewood and Green, Cummins is full of praise for both. He points out that Hazlewood hasn't had the smoothest run with injuries over the last couple of years, but calls him one of the hardest workers in the group, someone who showed real class on a surface that didn't offer a great deal seam wise. Adds that picking up six crucial wickets in such conditions was a fabulous effort. On Green, he says the tempo he showed in this innings was a reminder of just how good he can be. Details that he simply needed a partner or two to stick around with him.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - HASAN MAHMUD deservingly receives the award for his outstanding bowling display on a fairly good batting surface. He picked up 9 wickets in the match, which included a splendid 6-wicket haul in the first innings. He says that in the buildup, the team gave everything in every practice session, backing themselves fully without dwelling on the eventual outcome. On tackling Australia's batting lineup, he credits the plans put together with the coaching staff, along with the video analysis done beforehand, saying that's exactly what the bowlers executed out in the middle. On the pitch, he says the bowlers simply stayed patient, stuck to their lines and lengths, and the results followed from there. Reflecting on what this means back home, he says his people will be overjoyed for him, and there will be plenty of celebrations to come.

... Time for the post-match Presentation ...

The entire country will feel proud and joyful - Words filled with emotions from one of the architects of this win, MEHIDY HASAN MIRAZ, who is up for a chat with the broadcasters. He calls it excellent cricket from the side, noting how long it's been since Bangladesh last found themselves in this position, and credits the team's performance for showing real character throughout. When asked whether his century in the tour match helped build belief, he says it did, adding that Australia are a world-class outfit stacked with quality players, and the team knew a win here would mean a great deal back home. Looking ahead to the Mackay Test, he says the focus now shifts to figuring out how best to perform in these conditions, pointing out that the side both batted and bowled well at the right moments in this match. He praises the way Tanzid Hasan batted in the first innings, along with strong contributions from Shanto and Mominul. He then credits the partnerships with the lower order for helping him personally get to his runs, noting that without those partners sticking around, his own contribution wouldn't have been possible. He reveals his message to the lower order was simply not to worry about who's bowling at them. On Najmul Hossain Shanto's captaincy, Miraz speaks highly of his decision making, calling the timing of his calls consistently sharp. He points to the bowling split in these conditions, Hasan's six-wicket haul in the first innings complemented by the spinners sharing six in the second, calling that combination a real strength for the side going forward. He notes the pitch offered a bit more turn in the mornings with the footmarks in play, and says his own effort was built around targeting those areas. On the celebrations back home, Miraz says the entire country will be feeling proud and joyful right now. He thanks the travelling Bangladeshi fans for their support throughout, saying their belief played its own part in getting the team over the line, and closes by thanking the crowd once more for showing up.

A clinical chase seals the win - Bangladesh approached the chase with absolute composure, knocking off the required 57 runs with relative ease to complete the historic 9-wicket rout. While the Test match witnessed several stellar individual performances from both sides, this encounter will forever be remembered for the sheer grit and determination Bangladesh displayed with the bat. Standing up to a world-class and full-strength Australian bowling attack on foreign soil demanded serious character, and this historic triumph stands as a fitting testament to the growing stature and resilience of Bangladeshi cricket on the world stage. On the flip side, it serves as an equally big reality check for the Australians, one that will sting for a while yet with a couple of careers on the line as well.

Gutsy tail-end resistance delayed the inevitable - Facing a massive deficit, Australia’s second innings began with familiar batting struggles, quickly slumping to a precarious 207 for 7 and staring down the barrel of a humiliating innings defeat. Just when a premature end seemed inevitable, a gutsy lower-order fightback injected some hope back into the Australian camp. Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc combined brilliantly for the eighth wicket, showing immense resilience to stitch together a 43-run partnership that finally pushed the hosts into a slender lead. Following Starc's departure, Green continued the rescue mission by adding another 28 runs alongside Nathan Lyon before he was finally dismissed. The Australian second innings was eventually wrapped up for 284, setting Bangladesh a modest target of 57 to win.

The brave response and Tanzid's ton - In reply to Australia’s underwhelming first-innings total, Bangladesh staged a lion-hearted batting performance that completely put the hosts on the back foot. The visitors' application and skill shone through as they piled on a massive 426 runs, effectively driving themselves miles ahead in the contest. The cornerstone of this magnificent reply was a spectacular maiden century in Test cricket from Tanzid, while the rest of the batting order chipped in with handsome contributions to frustrate the home team. This colossal collective effort handed Bangladesh a towering 228-run lead, leaving a literal mountain for the Australians to climb just to stay alive in the match.

5.11 am GMT - Historic triumph in Australia's backyard - Congratulations to Bangladesh on securing a phenomenal and historic 9-wicket victory against the mighty Australians right in their own backyard. This monumental achievement marks a historic milestone for the Asian side, etching their names into the folklore of cricket. The encounter began with Australia winning the toss and electing to bat on a surface that sported a noticeable tinge of live grass. However, the hosts failed to adapt to the challenging conditions, putting up a dismal batting display. The Australian lineup was bundled out for a meagre 198 runs in their first innings, a collapse that immediately pushed them onto the back foot and set the tone for the remainder of the match.

This could well be the final over of the first Test as Bangladesh need only 4 runs to win. Just a matter of one hit now.