Bangladesh enjoyed an impressive day in Australia, bowling the hosts out for just 198 runs. Hasan Mahmud delivered a career-best performance with six wickets for 55 runs, putting Bangladesh in a strong position.
Hasan received widespread praise for his spell, but Bangladesh national team chief selector Habibul Bashar was not surprised by his performance.
“Hasan is someone who can take wickets in Test cricket, so I wasn’t surprised by his bowling. I think this is a spell everyone will remember for a long time,” Bashar said.
Bangladesh will now look to make the Test even more memorable, although Bashar stressed that there is still a long way to go. He also reminded everyone that a Test cannot be won on the first day.
“You can never win a Test match on the first day. There is still a long way to go. If we want to win, we will have to work much harder and play much better.”
Bashar also acknowledged the threat posed by Australia.
“Australia are a very strong team and we know they can come back. There is still a lot of work to do for us.”
Bangladesh have not played a Test in Australia for 23 years, making their first-day performance of Darwin Test significant.
“This is only our third Test match in Australia, and we haven’t played many Tests against Australia. So, a performance like this is certainly a message from Bangladesh cricket,” the former captain said.
