First Test, Darwin (day four of five)
Australia 198: (Smith 71; Mahmud 6-55) & 284 (Green 104; Miraz 5-66)
Bangladesh 426: (Tanzid 101, Shanto 84, Miraz 65; Hazlewood 6-89) & 57-1 (Mominul 30*)
Bangladesh win by nine wickets
Bangladesh thrashed Australia by nine wickets on the fourth day of the series-opener in Darwin to complete one of Test cricket’s greatest upsets.
After bowling the hosts out for 284 and needing 57 to win, Mominul Haque cut Beau Webster to the boundary for the winning runs to seal the nation’s first Test victory in Australia.
The moment sparked jubilation among Bangladesh players and staff as they celebrated arguably their greatest victory in 26 years of competing in Test cricket.
Australia are the top-ranked Test nation while Bangladesh haven’t played a series under the five-day format in the country since a 2-0 defeat in 2003.
The visitors were on top of the match throughout, but it was spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz who took the spotlight on day four as he took 5-66 to dismiss Australia for 284, leaving just 57 runs needed to win.
All-rounder Cameron Green showed fight with a valiant 104 but after being bowled by Hasan Mahmud, Australia’s faint hopes of saving the Test all but disappeared.
Seamer Mahmud was named player of the match after claiming 6-55 in the first innings and 3-56 in the second.
“This is the biggest win so far for Bangladesh in any format,” captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said.
“Going forward we want to do something special in the future. I’m very happy, proud of myself and the way the boys played. We did a lot of hard work.”
Speaking on ABC, commentator Jim Maxwell described the result as one of the most “embarrassing defeats that Australia have ever suffered in Test cricket”.
Miraz’s second innings performance followed a gritty 65 with the bat on day three that helped Bangladesh into a healthy first innings lead, before he dismissed talisman Steve Smith in Australia’s second innings to set up victory.
The spinner continued his form on day four as he had wicketkeeper Alex Carey caught behind for 30 before bowling all-rounder Webster for five with a pair of sumptuous deliveries to bring Australia’s tail into play.
The 28-year-old then had Australia captain Pat Cummins caught in close for eight, before a defiant 43-run eighth-wicket partnership between Green and Mitchell Starc was ended when Taskin Ahmed had the latter caught behind for 18.
Green dug in for his third Test century in his home country in a timely knock amid criticism of his place in the side, but after being dismissed by Mahmud, Miraz removed Nathan Lyon to leave Bangladesh in touching distance of victory.
Despite losing opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim for a duck to Josh Hazlewood in the second over, Mominul’s unbeaten 30 and Shadman Islam’s 25 sealed the resounding win.
“They outplayed us in all facets, they were patient and disciplined,” said Cummins.
“I thought our prep was spot-on, no excuses.”
Australia’s only previous Test defeat by Bangladesh was at Mirpur in 2017.
The match was the first of a two-Test series, with the second beginning on 22 August (01:00 BST), which you can follow with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
