Bangladesh’s seam attack eclipsed the much‑lauded Australian "Big Four" on the opening day of the inaugural Test of the series, sending the hosts crashing to 198 all out while Hasan Mahmud recorded a career‑best haul of six wickets for 55 runs. After the early collapse, Bangladesh’s top order steadied the ship, reaching 96 for one at the close of play and narrowing the first‑innings gap to 102 runs. The victory came just weeks after Bangladesh suffered a heavy defeat to Zimbabwe, losing by an innings and 85 runs in June. Yet in Darwin on Thursday, the visitors produced a dream start to their Australian tour – their first Test series on Australian soil since 2003.
Australia, meanwhile, have a packed calendar ahead, with at least 20 Tests slated over the next twelve months, including tours of New Zealand, South Africa, India and a return to England for the Ashes at Trent Bridge starting on June 18. Captain Steve Smith conceded that the opening day against Bangladesh was "not our best" and added, "There’s still plenty of cricket to be played, obviously. It would have been nice to have taken a few more wickets.
So hopefully we start well in the morning, pick up a few early ones and put pressure on." Mahmud was the catalyst for Bangladesh’s dominance. With immaculate line and length, he struck in his sixth and seventh overs, dismissing openers Jake Weatherald (23) and Travis Head (22) after Australia had won the toss and surged to 45 runs without loss on a green‑tinged pitch.
The rest of the Bangladeshi pace quartet – Taskin Ahmed (2‑55) and Ebadot Hossain (2‑39) – backed him up, maintaining relentless pressure throughout the first two sessions. Their disciplined bowling exploited the early‑morning conditions and kept the Australian batting line‑up under constant threat, leaving only Steve Smith’s defiant 71 to anchor the innings.
Smith, who struck seven fours and a six, eventually fell as the penultimate wicket. He edged a delivery from Mahmud to wicket‑keeper Litton Das, who completed a high catch. The dismissal marked the end of an innings that had offered some resistance but ultimately fell short of the target.
The day began on a hopeful note for the hosts, with skipper Pat Cummins winning the toss. Cummins, playing only his second Test in 13 months, re‑joined his fellow pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, alongside veteran off‑spinner Nathan Lyon – the quartet often referred to in Australia as the "Big Four". A partisan crowd cheered for Darwin‑born Weatherald, but he never truly settled, offering a loose swipe at Mahmud’s delivery that resulted in his dismissal.
Head followed shortly after, caught on a ball bowled around the wicket, leaving Australia at 52 for two. Bangladesh continued to extract maximum from the conditions. Ebadot Hossain trapped Marnus Labuschagne (1) with a catch taken by Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, and narrowly missed an early wicket of Smith when a chance at third slip was dropped.
By the end of the opening morning, the hosts had slumped to 74 for four, with all‑rounder Cameron Green (13) falling just before lunch. After the interval, Ebadot dismissed Alex Carey (19) and Taskin removed Beau Webster (12). Mahmud then struck again, taking the wickets of Cummins (9) and Starc (1) as the innings progressed. He wrapped up the Australian innings in 53 overs, also claiming Smith and Lyon, completing a devastating spell that left the hosts reeling.
Despite fielding their first‑choice pace attack, Australia managed only a single Bangladesh wicket throughout the day. Bangladesh’s middle order, led by Mominul Haque (35) and Tanzid Hasan (32), forged an unbeaten partnership of 60 runs, ensuring a respectable total and a solid platform for the second innings. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, speaking to Channel 7, reflected on the state of Australian cricket: "Look, what's the state of Australian cricket? This has been a very, very successful cricket team.
(But) right now, there are a couple of chinks in the armour and the selectors decided to stick with what they know. At the end of last season, I thought the time was right now to blood a couple of youngsters into these two Test matches. I said (Campbell) Kellaway and (Ollie) Peake were the ones that I wanted to have. So they decided not to do that.
But my worry is, when do they do that? Are you going to debut these guys in South Africa against (Kagiso) Rabada and (Marco) Jansen and co? I think that would be a whole lot harder. So I just feel there's an opportunity here that may have been missed." Bangladesh’s impressive start not only showcases their growing depth in pace bowling but also highlights the challenges Australia faces as they gear up for a demanding international calendar.
The visitors will look to build on this momentum in the second innings, while the hosts will be eager to regroup, adjust their strategies, and restore confidence in their famed "Big Four" lineup. The series promises to be a compelling contest, with both sides eager to prove their mettle on the world stage.