Bangladesh clinched their first-ever Test victory over Australia on Australian soil in emphatic fashion, chasing just 57 in the fourth innings to seal a nine-wicket win. Alongside their dominance with bat and ball, Bangladesh also produced an impressive fielding display.
Following the famous victory, fielding coach Ashiqur Rahman Majumdar told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Our focus was on our mindset. We wanted to maintain our concentration and keep our energy levels at 100 percent. That is exactly what we did.”
Australia dropped five catches during the match, compared with two by Bangladesh. Tanzid Hasan Tamim dropped Steve Smith on 2 at third slip off Ebadot Hossain in the first innings, with Smith going on to add 69 runs. In the second innings, Taskin Ahmed missed a return catch from Cameron Green in his follow-through.
But those lapses were overshadowed by several outstanding efforts in the field. Najmul Hossain Shanto took a low catch to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne, while Mushfiqur Rahim produced a superb diving catch at short midwicket off Taskin to remove Green in the first innings. In the second innings, Shadman Islam held a sharp catch at short leg off Mehidy Hasan Miraz to dismiss Pat Cummins.
The performance was particularly impressive given Bangladesh’s limited familiarity with Darwin’s conditions. Ashiqur praised the fielding unit for maintaining its intensity throughout the Test.
“Mushfiq’s catch was outstanding. Shanto’s slip catching and Shadman’s catch at short leg in the second innings were also excellent. There were several good pieces of fielding. More importantly, the energy levels were superb.”, Ashiqur said.
“Everyone was moving, chasing the ball, even Taskin, Hasan and Ebadot throwing themselves around to stop drives. Everyone was trying with their heart and soul,” he added.
Bangladesh’s fielding also drew praise from the Australian camp. According to Ashiqur, Australia fielding coach Andre Borovec, who has been with the team since 2022, acknowledged Bangladesh’s superiority in the field.
“Australia’s fielding coach Andre Borovec told me that ‘your fielding was better than ours’. They dropped five catches, which is very unusual for them. It’s a huge achievement to hear something like that from the fielding coach of the world champions,” Ashiqur said.
Bangladesh had arrived in Darwin early and played a three-day practice match against Cricket Australia XI before having several training sessions to adapt to the conditions. The early arrival also helped the players overcome the disruption caused by the time difference.
“The first three or four days, everyone’s sleep was disturbed by the time difference, but arriving early gave us enough time to adjust,” Ashiqur said.
Ashiqur, serving as interim fielding coach in place of James Pamment, has developed a reputation for keeping fielding sessions energetic and enjoyable. Yet he was quick to shift the credit to the players after their display in Darwin.
Ashiqur the former first class cricketer said, “They are all fulfilling the team’s expectations and doing whatever the team needs. It’s not about me; it’s all about the players. The players have worked incredibly hard, beyond words.”
“I’m just here as a servant of the team. My main target is for them to enjoy their cricket. If they have energy on the field, you will see the enjoyment too,” he added, describing his role within the team.
