After 23 years, Bangladesh cricket team got a chance to play a Test series in Australia and the way Bangladeshi team capitalized on this opportunity was worth seeing. The first Test match between Australia and Bangladesh started in Darwin on 13 August and in the first session itself, Bangladesh destroyed the Australian batting in just 22 overs. Bangladesh’s fast bowling attack including Hasan Mahmood surprised everyone by reducing Australia’s 4 wickets to just 74 runs.
For the first time since 2003, the Bangladeshi team has come to play a Test series in Australia. For the first time since 2004, a Test match is being organized on Darwin’s grounds. But hardly anyone would have thought that this would be the beginning of such a comeback happening after years. Especially Australian captain Pat Cummins would hardly have been aware of this, because he himself had decided to bat first after winning the toss.
However, for Australia, the opening pair of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald started well. Together they had added 45 runs in 11 overs. But fast bowler Hasan Mahmood first sent Weatherald (23) and then Travis Head (22) back to the pavilion. After this, Marnus Labuschagne (1) and Steve Smith were at the crease together, but the Bangladeshi pacers did not give them a chance to score runs. Soon Labuschagne was returned to the pavilion, whose bad phase was showing no sign of ending. On the last ball of the first session, Taskin Ahmed took the wicket of Cameron Green (13).
This start of Bangladesh is also special because the team has entered this Test series without its young fast bowler Nahid Rana. Rana has made a good name for himself on the basis of his tall height, fast speed and deadly bounce in the balls. In such a situation, the fans were eager to see him bowling on Australian soil. But he got injured before the series and was out. In such a situation, Bangladeshi bowling attack has to face Australia without him and the team’s start has been strong so far.
