Twenty-three years is a very long time to attend for an invite. When Australia lastly hosted Bangladesh for an additional Take a look at, their guests ensured they made it rely, dominating from ball one to seal a first-ever win on Australian soil. The ultimate act of this outstanding Take a look at belonged to Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the nation’s newly minted celebrity, barely containing himself as he ran via Australia’s decrease order on the fourth day, and easily stored operating, arms extensive, historical past trailing behind him.
It was the all-rounder’s fifteenth five-wicket haul within the format, and got here after an excellent 65 alongside the tail 24 hours earlier. It eclipsed Cameron Inexperienced’s maiden house Take a look at century, which had hauled Australia to a slender 56-run lead. Bangladesh nonetheless wanted three extra runs than the 54 they’d been shot out for final week towards a Cricket Australia XI – a scoreline that had raised questions on how aggressive this contest can be. However as they’d been doing all match, they dispelled any cloud of doubt by easing their means house to a nine-wicket win, with each run of the ultimate innings cheered by a sizeable Bangladeshi contingent in Darwin.
Bangladesh have been forward coming into this fourth day’s play, however Australia nonetheless had six second-innings wickets in hand, together with Inexperienced, to engineer a dramatic turnaround, the type that would not have been misplaced for the top-ranked Take a look at facet. Inexperienced held agency from one finish, transferring to 85 by the Lunch break, however Mehidy, who had produced an ingenious variation to entice Steve Smith the earlier night, took cost by prising out Alex Carey and Beau Webster with two rippers. The left-handed Carey pushed ahead tentatively to defend a ball that drifted in, dipped and turned to seek out the skin edge. Webster fell defending inside the road to 1 that went straight on and knocked over off-stump.
These strikes left solely the quick bowlers to accompany Inexperienced. Cummins fell with Australia nonetheless in arrears, pushing ahead and inside-edging Mehidy to ahead brief leg. Inexperienced dragged Australia into the lead early within the second session and, alongside Mitchell Starc, threatened to push it into harmful territory. It was Taskin Ahmed who broke the 43-run stand, eradicating Starc nicking behind. Inexperienced carried on to finish his third Take a look at century, erasing among the doubts over his type, however fell quickly after for 104.
Having survived the earlier night when the ball struck the stumps with out dislodging the bails, he wasn’t as fortunate this time, dragging a supply from the sport’s different star, Hasan Mahmud, onto his personal stumps. That wicket meant Mahmud, who had set this victory rolling on the primary day with a six-for, completed with match figures of 9 for 111.
The tip, fittingly, got here courtesy of Mehidy, who trapped Nathan Lyon lbw to finish a incredible five-for. That left Bangladesh needing solely 57. First-innings centurion Tanzid Hasan Tamim fell for a duck, however Mominul Haque and Shadman Islam eased Bangladesh over the road and into the historical past books with out breaking a sweat.
Temporary scores: Australia 198 & 284 (Cameron Inexperienced 104; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 5-66, Hasan Mahmud 3-56) misplaced to Bangladesh 426 (Tanzid Hasan Tamim 101, Najmul Hossain Shanto 84, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 65; Josh Hazlewood 6-89) & 57/1 (Mominul Haque 30*) by 9 wickets.
