Bangladesh Stuns Australia by 9 Wickets for First Test Win in Australia
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 16
Bangladesh Stuns Australia by 9 Wickets for First Test Win in Australia
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 16
Summary
57 runs was all Bangladesh needed after bowling Australia out for 284, and they reached 57-1 on day four in Darwin to seal their first Test victory in Australia.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz drove the finish with 5-66 in the second innings after scoring 65 in the first, while Hasan Mahmud earned player-of-the-match honors with nine wickets across the match.
Cameron Green's 104 briefly delayed defeat, but once Mahmud bowled him Australia lost their last realistic chance, with captain Pat Cummins admitting Bangladesh "outplayed us in all facets."
The upset was especially stark because Australia are the top-ranked Test side, while ninth-ranked Bangladesh had been bowled out for 54 in a Darwin warm-up and arrived without injured quicks Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam.
The win was only Bangladesh's second Test victory over Australia and sets up the second match of the two-Test series starting on 22 August.
Will Bangladesh's historic upset permanently shift the competitive balance of power in global Test cricket?
What specific pitch conditions in Darwin triggered Australia's shocking 198-run collapse after electing to bat first?
How will Australia alter their roster and strategy for the Mackay Test to avoid another humiliation?
Darwin 2026: Bangladesh’s 9-Wicket Test Upset Over Australia and the Blueprint Behind a Cricketing Revolution
Overview
Bangladesh stunned the cricket world by defeating Australia in Darwin, thanks to a dominant pace attack led by Hasan Mahmud, who dismantled the hosts on the first day. This historic nine-wicket victory was built on strong batting from Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto, followed by disciplined bowling from Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The win sparked nationwide celebrations in Bangladesh and pushed them to fourth in the World Test Championship standings, while triggering shock and harsh criticism in Australia. Bangladesh’s success was the result of years of strategic planning, a shift in domestic cricket philosophy, and a close-knit, hardworking pace unit that ended the country’s "dark age" of fast bowling.