Losing the toss turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Bangladesh in the Darwin Test. The Tigers got the opportunity to bowl first on a fresh pitch and made excellent use of the conditions. The three pacers took all 10 wickets to bowl Australia out for 198 runs in the first innings, laying the foundation for Bangladesh’s victory.
Hasan Mahmud felt the same way. “When they chose to bat first after winning the toss, the momentum shifted in our favour. Personally, I was happy to bowl first because it was a fresh wicket, and batting against the new ball was not easy,” he said.
The pace and bounce on the first day made Hasan particularly effective. He claimed six wickets in the innings, while Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain also made important contributions with the ball. The disciplined bowling of the three pacers lifted the entire team, and that confidence also had a positive impact on Bangladesh’s batting.
Bangladesh legend Shakib Al Hasan considers Hasan Mahmud one of the country’s best Test bowlers. According to Shakib, the right-arm pacer has the ability to bowl with discipline in any conditions and is also intelligent in assessing both the conditions and the opposition.
Hasan proved Shakib’s assessment right with a sensational performance in Darwin. He claimed nine wickets in the match and was named Player of the Match. His six-wicket haul for 55 runs in the first innings was the best bowling performance of his career. He then took three crucial wickets in the second innings, including two early breakthroughs with the new ball. After Hasan finished his job, Mehidy Hasan Miraz took over and claimed five wickets in the innings.
Hasan explained the secret behind Bangladesh’s success against Australia in their own conditions: “Our biggest challenge was to adapt. Everyone managed to do that in a planned manner. We adapted very well. The fast bowlers were extremely focused. Before the Test began, we sat together and discussed what needed to be done. We were given a game plan, and everyone followed it. The bowling was very disciplined. That is why we were able to bowl Australia out for less than 200 in the first innings. It was a collective bowling performance.”
Like Mushfiqur Rahim and other members of the team, Hasan also collected a memento to mark the historic Test victory. His Player of the Match award will remain a memorable part of the achievement.
However, Hasan does not want to dwell on the success in Darwin. He is already preparing mentally for the second and series-deciding Test. The 26-year-old pacer said, “This is just the beginning. We still have more to do. I cannot be satisfied just because I was Player of the Match in one Test. By the time I walked off the field, I had already forgotten everything. I did not keep thinking about what I had done or what had happened. I am thinking about the next game.”
The second Test will be played from August 22 to 26 in Mackay, a coastal city in Queensland. The Bangladeshi players have no previous experience of the venue. The Great Barrier Reef Arena, also known as Harrup Park, will make its Test debut with Bangladesh’s match. The venue is also unfamiliar to the Australians.
Commentators have suggested that the second Test could be played on a pitch offering plenty of pace and bounce.
Asked about the conditions, Hasan said, “If Mackay offers more pace and bounce than Darwin, hopefully that will benefit us. The quicker we can adapt to those conditions, the better. After practising, we will have to make a new plan. Everyone will have to approach the match with a fresh mindset. We will discuss everything with bowling coach Talha Bhai and the captain.”
Hasan’s experience of playing county cricket in England helped him succeed in Darwin, and he hopes to maintain the same consistency in Mackay.
Batting coach Mohammad Ashraful and fielding coach Ashiq Majumdar also credited the players for the success. Ashraful said, “After returning from Zimbabwe, I said that we had not been able to prepare properly. Here, we managed to prepare very well. All the players worked extremely hard and prepared well. If you look at our Test record over the past eight or nine months, we have won five of eight matches. The players were confident about performing well. The poor performance in the warm-up match also turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After the defeat, everyone realised what needed to be improved, and it motivated them to perform better.”
Fielding coach Ashiq said the players were eager to perform well, and that determination ultimately helped the team achieve a positive result.