Australia win Bangladesh’s biggest victory across formats: Shanto

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has described his team’s historic nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin as the biggest win in the country’s cricket history across all formats.

Bangladesh secured their first Test victory on Australian soil on Sunday (August 16), completing a remarkable turnaround after entering the match with modest expectations. Shanto said the result was the product of years of hard work and expressed pride in the team’s performance against one of Test cricket’s strongest sides.

"I am extremely happy and proud of myself and the team," Shanto said after the match. "There has been a lot of hard work behind this success. To beat a strong Australian side in their own conditions is a special achievement for Bangladesh cricket."

The Bangladesh captain particularly highlighted the team’s pace-bowling progress. Hasan Mahmud played a key role in dismissing Australia for 198 in the first innings, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz continued to make a decisive impact with both bat and ball.

Shanto said the growing importance placed on fast bowlers in Test cricket reflects a significant change in Bangladesh’s cricketing mindset.

“Five years ago, our fast bowlers were not as interested in playing Test cricket. Now they want to play this format, perform and become world-class,” he said.

He also credited senior players, including Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque, for encouraging younger cricketers to embrace Test cricket.

Shanto reserved special praise for Tanzid Hasan, who marked his Test debut with a century in Bangladesh’s first innings. Known primarily for his aggressive approach in white-ball cricket, Tanzid showed considerable composure in Darwin, according to the Bangladesh captain.

“Tanzid likes to play aggressively in white-ball cricket, but in this Test he was calm and played according to the merit of the ball,” Shanto said. “That is exactly the kind of impact you expect from a top-order batter.”

Bangladesh took control of the Test after bowling Australia out for 198 and then piling up 426, securing a 228-run first-innings lead. Australia fought back through Cameron Green’s century but were eventually dismissed for 284, leaving Bangladesh a target of just 57.

Shanto said the scale of the achievement goes beyond a single format.

Asked whether the victory ranked among Bangladesh’s greatest cricketing successes, he said: “This is the biggest win for Bangladesh in any format so far. We want to do something even more special ahead.”

Despite the historic result, Shanto insisted Bangladesh would not allow complacency to creep in. The second and final Test begins in Mackay on August 22, with Bangladesh aiming to turn their 1-0 lead into a historic series triumph on Australian soil.