Bangladesh shock Australia with historic Test win

Dhaka: Bangladesh Wednesday registered their first-ever win over Australia in Test cricket, hammering Steve Smith’s guys by twenty runs in a thrilling match in Dhaka.

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan took 5-85 to help the hosts dismiss Australia for two hundred forty four shortly into the 2nd session on the fourth day.

David Warner top-scored with one hundred twelve for the tourists, who were pursuing a victory target of two hundred sixty five after dismissing the hosts for two hundred twenty one in their 2nd innings.

Shakib lived up to his billing as the world’s number one Test all-rounder, ending with a match haul of ten wickets with his left-arm spin and making eighty four in Bangladesh’s first-innings total of 260.

Australia — who are touring Bangladesh for the very first time in more than a decade — are presently ranked fourth to Bangladesh’s lowly ninth in ICC Test rankings.

They appeared to be coasting towards their fifth consecutive Test win over the minnows when Warner and Smith resumed the day on one hundred nine for two.

Warner, who was unbeaten on seventy five overnight, reached his 19th Test century off one hundred twenty one pouch with two runs off spinner Taijul Islam.

But Shakib brought Bangladesh back into the game, dismissing both Warner and Smith (37) to put pressure on the tourists.

Pat Cummins hit a valiant thirty three not out after Shakib bowled Glenn Maxwell (14) off the very first ball of the 2nd session, leaving Australia tottering on 199-8.

Cummins hit three fours and two sixes to bring his side achingly close to a win, but Shakib’s spin playmate Taijul brought the curtain down on the innings with his dismissal of Josh Hazlewood for nought.

Hazlewood, who was already nursing an injury, has been ruled out of the 2nd and final Test of the series.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was watching from the stands, flapped the nation’s flag as the jubilant players embraced and celebrated their historic win.

“It’s a superb feeling hitting Australia, and I think it was a excellent effort by the boys, especially Shakib,” said captain Mushfiqur Rahim of his all-rounder, who was named man of the match.

“Our spectacle in home conditions has been pretty consistent and against England also we were very close in the very first Test and we hammer them in the 2nd Test.

“That’s the belief we had and also our spinners did a excellent job,” he added, telling Bangladesh would now be looking to seal the series.

A dejected Smith said his studs could have performed better with the bat in the very first innings when they scored 217, since the bounce and spin proved especially devilish the 2nd time around.

“It was a good Test match. Credit to Bangladesh, the way they played,” he said.

“The very first innings, I thought the partnership inbetween Shakib and Tamim truly set the game up for them. I thought we fought back truly nicely after that.

“We very likely let ourselves down a bit in the very first innings with the bat. We very likely needed to make a few more there.”

Australia have not played a Test in Bangladesh since Ricky Ponting’s team visited in 2006, six years after Bangladesh were granted Test status. They were due to play two Tests in the country in October two thousand fifteen but the tour was cancelled amid security fears after a wave of attacks by Islamist extremists in the Muslim-majority nation.

The 2nd Test will be played in Chittagong from September 4-8. AFP

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