Tigers take historic lead over Australia in Darwin

Bangladesh produced a commanding batting performance in the Darwin Test to move ahead of Australia’s first-innings total of 198, securing only their second-ever first-innings lead against the hosts in Test cricket.

The milestone came in the 55th over, when Mitchell Starc’s delivery was taken beyond Australia’s total to put Bangladesh in front.

Bangladesh’s only previous first-innings lead against Australia came in the 2006 Fatullah Test, when they amassed 427 and established a 158-run advantage.

The breakthrough is particularly significant given the concerns surrounding Bangladesh’s batting ahead of the series. Their struggles in the warm-up match, which ended in a heavy defeat, had raised questions about whether the batting unit could withstand Australia’s formidable pace attack.

Those concerns have been emphatically answered in the Test itself. Tanzid Hasan and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto have led a composed batting effort, absorbing pressure from the Australian quicks and putting Bangladesh in a strong position.

With the first-innings lead secured, Bangladesh now have an opportunity to build a substantial advantage and put Australia under pressure when the hosts return to bat.