“HASANNN…That’s out..” Phil Simmons’ voice echoed around the practice area at the Marrara Oval. It is three days out from Bangladesh’s first Test in Australia since 2003. The Bangladesh coach had just witnessed Hasan Mahmud attempt an expansive shot with poor execution in the nets. His admonishing tone was justified, as he had only minutes earlier yelled, “I want all of you to give me 40-50 balls each in the match,” at the tailenders he had intentionally asked to pad up first. He even summoned Hasan for a quick headmasterly chat before allowing his young fast bowler another opportunity to focus.
On Friday evening, that tough love from coach Simmons proved invaluable. Bangladesh’s hero with the ball on Day One produced an equally heroic performance with the bat, pushing his team into a position of complete dominance in the opening Test of the Australian home season. To understand the significance of the 76 deliveries Hasan faced late on Friday, one must look at the moment he walked out to bat. It was a classic Australian cauldron setting: pumped-up fast bowlers buoyed by a string of wickets and a packed slip cordon, with momentum threatening to shift toward the hosts. Bangladesh had lost three massive wickets for 11 runs. Although they remained over 100 runs ahead, this mini-collapse threatened to let the home team back into the Test through the backdoor.
This period featured Pat Cummins at his most aggressive, tearing into the opposition batting line-up. While it did not start promisingly for Hasan, who edged and played-and-missed his way through early danger, the youngster’s gumption and his coach’s specific instructions began to pay dividends. Hasan successfully held off the Australian charge, mirroring the resilience his team has displayed throughout the first two days of this historic Test. Hasan eventually forged an unbeaten stand of 43 in 147 deliveries alongside Mehidy Hasan Miraz, marking the third-longest partnership of the Bangladesh innings at that stage.
Beyond the practical benefit of keeping the Australians in the field during the sapping heat, this performance represented a level of defiance rarely seen from an visiting team on these shores, especially one that has been absent for nearly twenty-five years. The Mehidy-Hasan stand ensured that Bangladesh has now won five out of six sessions in the match, with the post-tea period on Day Two potentially shared. Consequently, Australia has yet to gain a foothold in the contest, playing catch-up since Jake Weatherald fell shortly after the first drinks break on Thursday morning.
While Bangladesh deserves global applause, the performance raises questions regarding the current state of the Australian side. Despite the high expectations surrounding Pat Cummins and his team for the coming year, the last two days have introduced new concerns regarding their personnel and team composition. The Marrara Oval surface offered little assistance to the bowlers on Friday, yet credit is due to the world-class pace trio who maintained their intensity throughout the day. Despite their relentless effort and a brief surge of energy provided by the second new ball, they failed to break open the game as they typically do on home soil, even against the aggressive tactics of England’s ‘Bazball’ approach last year.
Bangladesh’s methodical, old-school approach—relying on discipline and partnership batting—provided a blueprint for how to challenge this Australian side. Not since the 2018-19 summer, when India repeatedly amassed large totals against the famed quartet, has a team appeared so in command with the bat as Bangladesh has over the last two days. While Australia’s next assignment is an away tour in South Africa this October, New Zealand will be watching closely as they prepare for their own four-Test tour later this year. The global impact of this performance highlights Bangladesh’s progress as a Test nation while simultaneously casting doubt on the current dominance of the Australian Test team.
To really understand just how vital the 76 deliveries Hasan faced late on Friday were to the visitors’ overall cause, we need to dial back to the point he’d walked out to bat.
Though still already more than a 100 runs ahead, this mini-collapse had threatened to let the home team back into the Test in via the backdoor.
For all the talk around the career-defining 12 months ahead for Pat Cummins and his team, the last two days have thrown up newer questions than already existed about the make-up of their team and some of their personnel.
This was also Cummins at his rip-roaring best, when he gets the bit between his teeth and tears apart opposition batting line-ups and matches.
But what they couldn’t do alongside Nathan Lyon is to break open the game like they have such a reputation of doing on home soil.
