Darwin Test: Mehidi Hasan Miraz’s quintuple win in Bangladesh’s historic first Test in Australia
Twenty-three years is a long time to wait for an invitation. When Australia finally hosted Bangladesh in another Test, their visitors made sure they made it count, dominating from ball one to record their first ever win on Australian soil. The final act of this remarkable Test belonged to Mehidi Hassan Miraz, the country’s new star, who could barely contain himself as he galloped through Australia’s lower order on day four, and simply kept running, arms wide, history trailing behind him.
It was the all-rounder’s 15th five-wicket haul in the format, and came after an impressive 65 by the tail 24 hours earlier. It was overshadowed by Cameron Green’s home maiden Test century, which took Australia to a slender 56-run lead. Bangladesh still need three more runs than the 54 bowled out last week against the Cricket Australia XI – a score that has raised questions about the competitiveness of this contest. But as they were delivering all matches, they dispelled any cloud of doubt by easing their way home to a nine-wicket win, with every final innings run cheered on by a large Bangladeshi contingent in Darwin.
Bangladesh were ahead going into the fourth day’s match, but Australia still had six wickets in the second innings, including Green, to engineer a dramatic turnaround, the kind that would not have been out of place for a top-ranked Test team. Green held on from one end, moving to 85 by the lunch break, but Mahdi, who had produced a masterful variation to trap Steve Smith the night before, took charge by defeating Alex Carey and Beau Webster with two breakers. The left-handed Curry initially rushed forward to defend the ball, which drifted in, dipped and turned to find the outside edge. Webster fell defending inside the line in front of a fielder who advanced directly and fell off the stump.
Those knocks left only the fast bowlers to accompany Green. Cummins fell with Australia still trailing, pushing forward and edged Mehidi inside-forward at short leg. Green dragged Australia into the lead early in the second session and along with Mitchell Starc threatened to push them into dangerous territory. It was Taskin Ahmed who broke the 43-run stand, removing Starc from behind. Green went on to complete his third Test century, erasing some doubts about his form, but fell soon after for 104.
Having survived the previous night when the ball hit the stumps without dislodging the bails, he was not so lucky this time, dragging a delivery from the game’s other star, Hassan Mahmood, into his stumps. This wicket meant that Mahmood, who sealed this first-day victory with a six, finished with matching figures of 9 for 111.
The end came thanks to Mehidi, who surrounded Nathan Lyon to complete a wonderful five-pointer. This left Bangladesh needing just 57 overs. First innings centurion Tanzid Hassan Tamim fell for the duck, but Mominul Haq and Shadman Islam eased Bangladesh over the line and into the history books without breaking a sweat.
Abbreviated degrees: Australia lost 198 and 284 (Cameron Green 104, Mehdi Hasan Miraz 5-66, Hasan Mahmood 3-56) to Bangladesh 426 (Tanzid Hasan Tamim 101, Najm Hossain Shanto 84, Mehdi Hasan Miraz 65, Josh Hazlewood 65/197/Momin Hasan). 30*) by 9 wickets.
