Bangladesh lost the first test match against Australia; Mitchell Starc took 6 wickets

The Australian team faced issues after losing to Bangladesh in a match in Darwin, where they lost by 9 wickets. This was the first time Australians had lost a Test at home against Bangladesh, raising questions about the team's players. However, difficulties continue: the Australian team is under threat of measures from the International Cricket Council (ICC) due to the slow pace of play.

If the team is found guilty, it faces not only the withholding of player match fees but also the loss of important points in the World Test Championship (WTC). The problem arose on the third day of the match. Australia completed only 86 overs that day, whereas under normal conditions, 90 overs are required. Thus, the host side lagged behind the established number by four overs.

Although the match concluded before tea on the fourth day, the slow pace on the third day cannot be ignored. The final decision on the situation will be made by the match referees, taking into account the conditions and time delays. Previously, former Australian batsman Simon Catch expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace, calling it a serious issue in modern cricket and noting that the current rate of completing overs is ridiculous.

The greatest danger for Australia is the possible reduction of points in the WTC. According to ICC rules, points can be deducted from a team for slow play. Currently, Australia ranks first in the WTC table with 84 points and a percentage of 77.78. With a deduction of four points, their score could drop to 80. Although the exact penalty will be determined after assessment by the ICC and the match referees, the slowdown in pace has already harmed Australia previously; in the past WTC cycle, four points were deducted from them for slow play.

Australian players may also suffer financial losses. The rules provide for a fine of five percent of the match fee for every over played slower than the established pace. Reports indicate that Australian players earn around $20,000 per Test. If a 20 percent fine is applied for the deficit of four overs, each player could lose approximately $4,000, totaling about $44,000 for the starting eleven.

Nevertheless, no official announcement of any sanctions against Australia has been made yet. The match referees may take factors such as the high heat and humidity in Darwin into consideration when making their decision.

The Bangladesh cricket team achieved a historic victory over Australia in the Darwin Test match, winning by a margin of 9 wickets. The Bangladeshi squad, which visited Australia for Test matches for the first time in 23 years, completely outperformed the host team led by Pat Cummins. This marked Bangladesh's first victory over Australia on Australian soil in a Test match.

The contest, held at the Marrira Cricket Ground in Darwin, concluded in just four days. The foundation of Bangladesh's victory was laid in the first innings when their bowlers restricted Australia to only 198 runs. Fast bowler Hasan Mahmud took six wickets in Australia's first innings. Following this, Tanzid Hasan Tamim took charge as a batsman and scored an impressive hundred.

Bangladesh scored 426 runs in its first innings, giving them a substantial advantage of 228 runs over Australia. This advantage later proved to be the decisive moment of the match. Although Australia attempted to stage a comeback in the second innings, their batsmen were unable to score a significant number of runs against the spin bowling of Mehdi Hasan Miraz. Miraz took five wickets, allowing Bangladesh to set a very small target.

The historic win benefited Bangladesh in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 table. Their Points Percentage (PCT) increased from 58.33% to 66.67%. After their third win out of five matches, Bangladesh secured fourth place. Australia suffered a significant setback due to the defeat: their PCT dropped from 87.50% to 77.77%. Despite this, they still hold the top spot, but the gap with the defending champion South Africa, currently in second place, has narrowed considerably, as the latter holds a PCT of 75.00%.

New Zealand occupies third place with 72.22% points after six matches. Bangladesh follows India, which has 48.15% points and is in fifth place, while Sri Lanka is in sixth place with 41.67% points. Further down are England (24.36%), Pakistan (22.22%), and West Indies (20.83%).

This victory holds special historical significance for Bangladesh. Previously, the team had played only two Tests in Australia, both during the 2003 tour. The team, arriving after 23 years, achieved its first victory on the third attempt. The record for the fastest first victory in Australia belongs to England, who achieved it in their second match in 1877. Bangladesh equaled this record with South Africa, which also secured its first victory in the third Test in Australia in 1910.

The first Test match between Australia and Bangladesh took place at Marara Oval in Darwin. Bangladesh managed to achieve a historic victory, winning by a margin of nine wickets. The Bangladesh team reached the target score of 57 runs during the second session of the fourth day.

The main heroes of Bangladesh's victory were fast bowler Hasan Mahmud and all-rounder Mehdi Hasan Miraz. Mahmud took a total of nine wickets in this match. Miraz scored 65 runs and also claimed five wickets.

This is Bangladesh's first victory over Australia on their home ground. Previously, Bangladesh had lost two matches against Australia, which were played in Australia during the 2003 tour. Thus, Bangladesh secured its second victory over Australia in Test matches.

Before this, the Bangladesh team had defeated the Australian team in a match in Mirpur in August 2017 by a margin of 20 runs. In total, seven Test matches have been played between Bangladesh and Australia: Australia won five matches, and Bangladesh won two.

The second match of the series is scheduled for August 22 in Mackay.

On the fourth day, Australia started its second innings with a score of 161/4. Mehdi Hasan Miraz already put Australia in a difficult position in the first session, dismissing Alex Carey (30 runs), Hugh Webster (5 runs), and Pat Cummins (8 runs).

Despite the collapse of wickets, Cameron Green remained on the field. He scored 104 runs off 201 balls, using 4 fours and one six. This was Green's third century in his career. Mitchell Starc (18 runs) also tried to stay on the field, but Taskin Ahmed ended his innings. Cameron Green was dismissed by Hasan Mahmud with a bowled delivery.

After this, Mehdi Hasan Miraz dismissed Nathan Lyon (15 runs) via LBW, reducing the Australian team's innings to 284 runs. Miraz took five wickets in the second innings, and Mahmud got three wickets. Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam took one wicket each.

It is worth noting that Australia, having won the toss, batted first and scored only 198 runs in the first innings. Steve Smith made the biggest contribution, scoring 71 runs. From Bangladesh's side, Hasan Mahmud took six wickets, while Ibadat Hossain and Taskin Ahmed each took two wickets.

In response, Bangladesh scored 426 runs in its first innings, gaining a large advantage of 228 runs based on the first innings. Opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim demonstrated excellent play, scoring 101 runs. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (84 runs) and Mehdi Hasan Miraz (65 runs) also showed useful batting performances.

From Australia's side, Josh Hazlewood took six wickets, and Mitchell Starc took two wickets.