Bangladesh pacers dominate the opening day as Australia suffer their lowest Test total against them; Steve Smith fights a lone battle with 71
Hasan Mahmud led Bangladesh’s stunning opening-day bowling performance against Australia in Darwin, as the visitors bowled out the hosts for just 198 in the first Test.
Hasan claimed a career-best 6/55 as Bangladesh’s pace attack repeatedly exposed Australia’s batting lineup on Thursday. Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain provided important support with two wickets each, completing a collective bowling performance that placed Bangladesh in a strong position at the end of Australia’s first innings.
The 198 all out was Australia’s lowest Test total against Bangladesh, surpassing the previous lowest score of 217, made in Mirpur in 2017. The result was particularly significant because Bangladesh were playing their first Test in Australia since 2003, making their opening-day performance an impressive statement on their return to the country.
Australia’s only major resistance came from Steve Smith, who scored 71 from 109 balls. His innings stood out in an otherwise difficult batting display, as Bangladesh’s seamers kept the pressure on and regularly found breakthroughs.
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Hasan Mahmud Produces Career-Best Bowling Performance
The defining moment of the day was Hasan Mahmud’s six-wicket haul.
The right-arm fast bowler finished with figures of 6/55, marking the best bowling performance of Hasan Mahmud’s career in Test cricket. His spell was central to Australia’s collapse and represented one of the most impressive individual bowling performances by a Bangladesh seamer in recent Test cricket.
Hasan Mahmud was able to maintain pressure across the Australian innings while Bangladesh’s other fast bowlers kept the pressure from the opposite end.
His six wickets also gave Bangladesh the breakthrough they needed after Australia’s innings had appeared capable of becoming more competitive.
The performance was particularly notable because the Darwin conditions and venue have previously provided unusual challenges for visiting teams. Bangladesh’s seamers adapted effectively and made use of the opportunities presented by the pitch and batting conditions.
For Hasan Mahmud personally, the figures represent a major milestone and could become one of the standout achievements of his Test career.
Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain Add to Australia’s Problems
Hasan Mahmud was the standout performer, but Bangladesh’s attack succeeded because the pressure was shared.
Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain finished with two wickets each, ensuring Australia never enjoyed a sustained partnership at the crease.
The contribution of the supporting bowlers was important because Australia’s batting order included experienced and established names.
Bangladesh’s fast bowlers repeatedly challenged the Australian batters, restricting scoring opportunities and preventing partnerships from developing.
The coordinated attack also meant Australia could not simply wait for Hasan Mahmud’s spell to end before rebuilding the innings.
Instead, Bangladesh maintained control through different phases of the innings, with Hasan Mahmud continuing to play a central role in the attack.
Australia Bowled Out for Their Lowest Test Score Against Bangladesh
Australia’s final total of 198 marked a historic statistical moment in the rivalry.
Before this Test, Australia’s lowest Test score against Bangladesh was 217, recorded in Mirpur in 2017. The new total of 198 therefore represents Australia’s lowest Test score against their opponents.
The collapse was especially striking given Australia’s traditionally strong home record.
Hasan Mahmud’s performance helped Bangladesh dismiss the hosts for under 200 and gave the visiting side an important psychological advantage in the two-Test series.
The score also means Australia will need an exceptional response with the ball and will need to prevent Bangladesh from establishing a significant first-innings lead.
Steve Smith Stands Tall Amid Australian Collapse
While Australia’s batting lineup struggled as a whole, Steve Smith produced a determined innings.
Smith scored 71 from 109 balls and was Australia’s leading run-scorer on a day when wickets fell regularly around him.
His innings provided Australia with much-needed stability and prevented the total from becoming even lower.
Smith’s ability to absorb pressure and occupy the crease for a significant period was crucial, particularly because Bangladesh’s bowlers were consistently finding ways to remove Australia’s other batters.
Yet even Smith’s resistance could not prevent the hosts from being bowled out for 198.
Hasan Mahmud’s sustained pressure throughout the innings underlined just how strongly Bangladesh’s bowling attack had dominated the contest.ontest.
Bangladesh Makes a Strong Return to Australia
The result is particularly significant because Bangladesh are playing their first Test in Australia since 2003.
Their return to the country comes after a long gap and is part of a two-Test series that forms part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
The opening Test is being played at Marrara Stadium in Darwin, a venue with a long history of international cricket.
The same ground previously hosted a Test between Australia and Bangladesh in 2003, when Bangladesh were at an earlier stage of their development as a Test side.
The contrast between the two eras makes Bangladesh’s latest performance even more noteworthy. Hasan Mahmud has played a major role in Bangladesh’s impressive return, producing the kind of spell that has immediately put Australia under pressure.
More than two decades after their earlier visit, Bangladesh returned to Darwin and immediately caused serious problems for Australia’s batting lineup, with Hasan Mahmud leading the attack.
Australia’s Strong Pace Attack Could Not Prevent the Collapse
Australia entered the Test with a formidable bowling attack featuring Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, supported by Nathan Lyon and all-rounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster.
However, the Australian batting lineup could not provide the runs needed to establish control.
The presence of three premier fast bowlers in Australia’s XI highlights the strength of the home team’s bowling resources, but it also increases the pressure on the batters to post competitive totals.
Hasan Mahmud’s performance ensured that Australia’s batting problems continued throughout the innings, despite the quality and experience available in the home side.
After being dismissed for 198, Australia will now need their bowlers to compensate by attacking Bangladesh’s top order and preventing the visitors from building a substantial lead.
Bangladesh Bowlers Exploit Early Pressure
Bangladesh’s success began early and continued throughout Australia’s innings.
Earlier in the day, the visitors reduced Australia to 74/4 by lunch, putting immediate pressure on the home side. Reuters reported that Bangladesh’s bowlers made the most of Australia’s weakened lineup and kept Australia from establishing a strong foundation.
Hasan Mahmud was central to that early pressure, giving Bangladesh the breakthroughs needed to keep Australia’s scoring under control.
That early advantage set the tone for the remainder of the innings.
Once Australia’s top order was disrupted, Bangladesh were able to attack the middle and lower order with greater freedom.
The visitors never allowed Australia to regain complete control, and Hasan Mahmud’s sustained pressure, supported by the rest of the attack, helped Bangladesh keep finding crucial wickets.
Bangladesh’s Bowling Depth Becomes a Major Storyline
Bangladesh had arrived without several important fast bowlers.
Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam were unavailable for the Test. Rana suffered a side strain during a T20I against Zimbabwe, while the other absences further reduced Bangladesh’s pace options.
Against that background, the performance of Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain becomes even more significant.
The trio effectively carried the pace attack and showed that Bangladesh still had enough resources to challenge Australia’s batters.
Hasan’s six-wicket haul was the headline performance, but the collective effort from the pace unit was perhaps even more encouraging for Bangladesh’s wider Test campaign.
Darwin Provides a Unique Setting for the Series
The choice of Darwin as the venue adds another layer to the contest.
Marrara Stadium has hosted international cricket in the past, including Tests involving Australia and Bangladesh. The venue therefore has historical significance in this rivalry.
The series itself is also unusual because Bangladesh’s tour comes during Australia’s winter, with the northern Top End providing the conditions necessary for international Test cricket during this period.
The tour is part of a broader 12-month stretch for Australia that includes a demanding Test schedule against several major opponents.
That makes the Bangladesh series strategically important for Australia in the context of the World Test Championship and its broader Test calendar.
Bangladesh Now Has an Opportunity to Take Control
After dismissing Australia for 198, Bangladesh gained an important opportunity to dictate the opening Test.
The visitors’ priority will now be to build a strong first innings and establish a lead.
The bigger their advantage, the greater the pressure on Australia’s batters in the second innings.
Bangladesh’s own batting lineup includes experienced players such as Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.
At the end of the initial stage of Bangladesh’s reply, the visitors had moved to 77/1 in 19.4 overs, with Mominul Haque and Tanzid Hasan at the crease. The situation therefore provided Bangladesh with a promising platform after their bowlers had already completed the difficult task of restricting Australia to 198.
Australia’s Challenge: Strike Back With the Ball
For Australia, the immediate goal will be to prevent Bangladesh’s first innings from becoming decisive.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon give Australia a formidable bowling combination, but the attack will need to produce another strong spell after Bangladesh’s bowlers dominated the opening innings.
The Australian team will also be looking for much greater discipline from its batting unit if it hopes to recover in the match.
A total of 198 has placed them under pressure, and the margin for error will be small if Bangladesh can move well beyond that figure.
Hasan Mahmud’s Performance Could Change the Series Narrative
The opening day has already established Hasan Mahmud as one of the central figures of the Test.
His 6/55 not only gave Bangladesh control of the first innings but also demonstrated the potential of Bangladesh’s pace attack against a strong opponent.
The performance will be closely watched as the series continues because Australia are unlikely to accept another batting collapse without a response.
For Bangladesh, however, the immediate objective is to build on the advantage created by their bowlers.
A Memorable Start for Bangladesh in Australia
The first day of the Test has already produced several significant storylines.
Australia have suffered their lowest Test total against Bangladesh. Steve Smith has produced a determined 71. Hasan Mahmud has claimed a career-best six wickets. Bangladesh’s pace unit has demonstrated impressive discipline despite the absence of several key bowlers.
Most importantly, Bangladesh have made a powerful return to Test cricket in Australia after more than two decades away.
The visitors now have the chance to turn a superb bowling performance into a match-defining first-innings lead.
For Australia, the response will need to come quickly.
The opening Test in Darwin has therefore delivered exactly what a two-Test series needs: an unexpected shift in momentum, a standout individual performance and a visiting team that has immediately challenged the home side’s authority.
With Bangladesh already building its first innings after dismissing Australia for 198, the second phase of the Test promises to be equally important.
