Bangladesh’s seam attack stole the spotlight on the first day of the opening Test, eclipsing the much‑talked‑about Australian "Big Four" as the hosts were bundled out for 198 runs. Hasan Mahmud delivered a career‑best spell, claiming six wickets for 55 runs, and set the tone for a dramatic encounter. 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 deficit to 102 runs.
The visitors, who suffered a heavy defeat to Zimbabwe in June – an innings and 85 runs loss – began their Australian tour with a statement performance in Darwin, marking their first Test series away from home since 2003. Australia is set to embark on an ambitious schedule that will see them play at least twenty Test matches over the next twelve months, including tours of New Zealand, South Africa, India and the Ashes series in England, which kicks off at Trent Bridge on 18 June.
After the day’s events, captain Steve Smith conceded that the start 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 precise line and length, he struck in his sixth and seventh overs, removing openers Jake Weatherald (23) and Travis Head (22) after Australia had won the toss and surged to 45 without loss on a green‑tinged pitch.
Alongside him, fellow pacemen Taskin Ahmed (2‑55) and Ebadot Hossain (2‑39) kept the pressure relentless through the first two sessions, exploiting the conditions and keeping the Australian batting line‑up on the back foot. The only real resistance from the hosts came from Smith, whose gritty 71 – featuring seven fours and a six – was the lone bright spot.
Smith’s dismissal came as the second‑last wicket to fall. He edged a delivery from Mahmud to wicket‑keeper Litton Das, who completed a high catch to end an innings that had briefly looked hopeful.
Prior to that, the day had begun positively for Australia when skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and fielded, playing his second Test in 13 months. He re‑joined the familiar quartet of fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, plus veteran off‑spinner Nathan Lyon, a combination often referred to in Australia as the "Big Four".
The crowd, many of whom were Darwin locals, cheered for the hometown hero Weatherald, but he never found his rhythm and offered a simple edge to Mahmud’s probing delivery. Head followed suit, falling to a ball bowled around the wicket, which saw Australia slip to 52 for two. Bangladesh continued to extract maximum from the early morning conditions.
Ebadot claimed 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 lunch, the hosts were reeling at 74 for four, with all‑rounder Cameron Green (13) dismissed just before the break.
After the interval, Ebadot removed Alex Carey (19) and Taskin dismissed Beau Webster (12). Mahmud then struck again, dismissing Cummins (9) and Starc (1) with edges, before sealing the innings in the 53rd over by taking the wickets of Smith and Lyon. Despite having their premier fast‑bowling unit back together, Australia managed only a single Bangladesh wicket, as Mominul Haque (35) and Tanzid Hasan (32) forged an unbeaten 60‑run partnership.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, speaking on Channel 7, reflected on 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 to blood a couple of youngsters in these two Test matches.
I said Campbell Kellaway and Ollie Peake were the ones 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 performance not only highlighted the effectiveness of their pace attack but also underscored the importance of adapting to local conditions. The green‑topped pitch in Darwin offered seam movement and bounce, which Mahmud and his fellow bowlers exploited with disciplined lines and subtle variations.
Their success serves as a reminder that even the most seasoned sides can be unsettled when facing a well‑executed, aggressive game plan. Looking ahead, the series will continue to test both teams. Australia will aim to regroup, fine‑tune their strategies, and give opportunities to emerging talent, while Bangladesh will look to build on this momentum, aiming to secure a historic series win down under. The upcoming matches promise more high‑stakes cricket, with the added narrative of Australia’s packed calendar and Bangladesh’s quest to cement their place among the world’s elite Test nations.