Bangladesh have claimed their first-ever Test win over Australia and one of the most memorable in their cricket history after triumphing by just 20 runs on a thrilling fourth day in Dhaka.
In his 50th Test but his first against Australia, Shakib Al Hasan confirmed his status as the game’s leading allrounder with one of the finest individual efforts the game has seen, finishing with match figures of 10-153 to add to his first-innings knock of 84.
It’s just the 10th time in 101 matches Bangladesh have been on the winning side of a Test, and there were jubilant scenes of celebration when Taijul Islam (3-60) claimed the final wicket to seal a nail-biting victory.
Opener David Warner’s brilliant knock of 112 from just 135 balls saw him finish with close to half of Australia’s fourth innings total of 244, a valiant knock that went in vain as his teammates capitulated on a deteriorating Mirpur pitch, losing 8-86 to surrender the series opener.
Tarunnoloak with Cricketer Sabbir
Pat Cummins’ unbeaten 33, which included two towering sixes, had Australia dreaming of an extraordinary victory but Bangladesh erupted when No.11 Josh Hazlewood was lbw to Taijul.
Bangladesh’s victory comes less than 12 months after defeating England at the same venue and their win over Australia confirms the Tigers – for so long written off as the minnows of world cricket -have risen as a legitimate force.
Australia’s enduring vulnerability to spin-bowling on the subcontinent remains a major concern and they’ve now won just one of their past 16 Tests in Asia.
Apart from Warner, skipper Steve Smith (37) and Cummins were the only players to score more than 15 in the second innings as 19 of the 20 Australian wickets in the match fell to spin (the other was a run-out).
At 2-109 in pursuit of 265 for victory, the visitors began the day with all the momentum thanks to an unbroken 81-run stand between Warner and Smith the previous evening.
And just as they had done late on day three, Bangladesh’s spinners initially appeared hesitant against the visitors’ leadership duo.
While Shakib has been Bangladesh’s trump card, his fellow tweaker Mehedi Hasan had arguably been as impressive in Australia’s first dig after accounting for both Warner and Smith.
Here though the 19-year-old off-spin prodigy struggled to match his cunning earlier work and Warner in particular was brutal on his frequent drag-downs.
The Australia vice-captain was in stunning touch. He faced just four balls of pace bowling for his entire innings and carved the Bangladesh spinners with a dazzling array of sweeps, advancing drives and pulls.
In their first innings, Australia barely got a break from the home side’s bowlers but Warner looked to have almost single-handedly destroyed their confidence.
Source : net
By RG
