“Get off the wicket!” Starc fumes | 00:28
Courtney Walsh from Fox SportsAugust 14th, 2026 9:27 pm
Bangladesh has furthered the pressure on Australia in the Top End Test in Darwin with a superb batting display and will seek to complete a massive upset over world’s top ranked Test team over the next three days in the Northern Territory capital.
The Tigers were able to withstand a sharper challenge from Australia’s decorated attack when led superbly by Tanzid Hasan, who scored a maiden Test century in just his second match, and captain Najmul Shanto.
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After bowling the Aussies out for 198
After bowling the Aussies out for 198 on the opening day, Bangladesh reached stumps on Day Two on 6-351 and lead by 153 runs with four wickets in hand.
The Fox Cricket team canvas the big issues from the second day and what lies ahead for an Australian team in peril, with Kayo Sports expert analyst David Warner saying the hosts had their backs against the wall.
“I have not seen anyone dominate like they have on Australian soil for a long time, especially (a side) from the subcontinent,” Warner said.
AUS vs BAN: Test 1, Day Two Highlights | 15:39
CAN AUSTRALIA PULL OFF A MIRACLE?
Bangladesh is in control and all
Bangladesh is in control and all are in agreement that they were the better side in each of the first five sessions in Darwin to move to what is almost an unassailable position.
But the emphasis is on almost, for the Test is still alive, despite Cameron Green dropping a difficult chance on the final ball of the day off the bowling of Marnus Labuschagne, who was the eighth Aussie bowler used for the day.
Fox Cricket’s expert analyst Kerry O’Keeffe said that while Australia had been outplayed on the opening two days, history has shown it is wise not to write them off given the champions that feature in the XI.
It is the first Test of a long
“It is the first Test of a long 12 months and you are allowed to ease into your work. We will judge them at the end of this Test match and something could unfold,” he told foxsports.com.au.
“They may trail by whatever they trail by, bat large and then really ask Bangladesh to win the game in a tricky little chase and then come really hard at them. There is a way of getting through this. If you go heavy on how bad was Australia and they win the game, you look silly. Yes, they have been outplayed … but we know this Australian team is capable of bouncing back.”
Aussie great Adam Gilchrist said the challenge ahead creates an opportunity for the under-fire top order to silence the critics.
Whatever the lead ends up being, there’s just
“Whatever the lead ends up being, there’s just so much time left that and they can take confidence that the pitch is not going to be as challenging in the second innings as what it was in the first innings,” Gilchrist said.
“(They will be saying) ‘don’t get too far ahead of yourself in your mind or in the game.’ It’s a session-by-session, half an hour by half an hour process, just to try and chip away at whatever the lead is, and then they’ll obviously look to build something, but they’ll have to play with a little bit more discipline than what they did in the first innings.
“They’ll be able to take great notice of what Bangladesh did with their top order and that strong defence and then be prepared to take scoring opportunities when they are there.
But it’s going to be a really good
“But it’s going to be a really good challenge for this team and maybe the opportunity that some of these guys need to just really silence a bit of the noise around there being a bit of inconsistency in that top order. It is a chance to build into a big, big score.”
Former Australian captain Alyssa Healy has no doubt the top-order would have been disappointed with how they batted on Thursday but said they are experienced enough to know how to fight back into a position to challenge Bangladesh.
“You assess what happened and you reflect on it and then you let it go and you focus on the next bit. That’s as simple as you need to make it,” she said.
And there’s an added layer to that, isn’t
“And there’s an added layer to that, isn’t there? Our batters don’t really face Bangladeshi bowlers very often (because) we
don’t tend to play them a lot outside of ICC events, so there’s a little bit of an unknown in that attack.
“But they’ll have a great idea about the three quicks in the second innings and what they’re able to put forward. So hopefully the batters can take that on board and I guess adjust leading into the next innings.”
When Skull met Jagger! | 11:43
A BROADER POSITIVE FOR THE SPORT
It seems scarcely believable that 21 years after
It seems scarcely believable that 21 years after debuting against England at Lord’s in 2005, and featuring in his 104th Test match, Mushfiqur Rahim has finally had the chance to shine in Australia in the Test arena when making 36.
The brilliant performance from Bangladesh so far in this Test has shone a light on the farce that unfolded back in 2018 when Cricket Australia called off a red ball tour by the Tigers to the Top End citing the competition the footy codes would present.
The World Test Championship has ensured that Australia, who lost a Test to Bangladesh in 2017 and has been outpointed by the Tigers in white ball series in 2021 and this year, has to host the minnows and that could well prove to be a good thing.
With cricket set to become a regular feature
With cricket set to become a regular feature in the Top End during the dry season, with a white ball series next August against New Zealand ahead of the World Cup, expect the Northern Territory to continue hosting Tests against lower-profile nations.
O’Keeffe is a fan and said the positive of such a strong showing so far by Bangladesh is that it demonstrated competitive Test cricket can be played by nations aside from the more powerful countries.
Webster: ‘A tough ol’ grind!’ | 05:46
“I’m so happy that they’ve presented themselves (so well) and as (Najmul) Shanto said going into it, we just want to play tough cricket and they have, I think, for the betterment of the game,” he said.
Their batting is disciplined
“Their batting is disciplined. It’s technically strong. Their fast bowling cartel is very good, as we saw yesterday, because you know they’re without Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana, who is a player on the rise. Hasan Mahmud (was excellent) and Taskin Ahmed’s always there as a wicket taker. And when they get on their own pitches with Taijul Islam, he gets five wickets.
“So they’ve got so many bases covered and you sense they really want to drive this Test team forward. They have totally turned up here.”
Gilchrist, too, said the Northern Territory should become a regular destination for international cricket.
“I think it’s wonderful that we’ve got facilities at this time of year to be able to post international cricket and it’s the perfect venue for nations like Bangladesh and probably Zimbabwe and maybe a couple of others you could bracket in there that are going to be a challenge to draw big crowds and a big volume of eyeballs on them through the prime time of summer,” he said.
It is a great way to remain committed
“It is a great way to remain committed to the Test match program and ensure there’s more regular competition against each other than what it possibly has been over the last 20-odd years, certainly in this country.”
‘Have a look at this!’ Warner bamboozled | 00:48
IF ENGLAND WAS COOKED FOR A LACK OF PREPARATION …
Should Australia be let off the hook?
Irrespective of what unfolds over the weekend in Darwin, the slow start by the Aussies over the past two days continues what has been a trend in the first Test of home series in recent years.
The Aussies were comprehensively outplayed in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Perth in 2024 and were on the ropes against England last year prior to a collective brainfade. And now Bangladesh has them on back foot.
While Bangladesh was trounced in a hit out
While Bangladesh was trounced in a hit out against a Cricket Australia XI last week, it did give the Tigers an opportunity to adjust to the conditions. And they have also played three Tests over the past couple of months.
Australia, in contrast, spent last week in Brisbane engaging in match-simulation and looked extremely rusty on Thursday, though the Aussie attack improved as the match progressed on Day 2.
But whether they should be sharper is something certain to be assessed, particularly if they are beaten in Darwin.
I think they will have a look given
“I think they will have a look given that the game is so different today,” O’Keeffe said.
Tamim speaks on maiden Test century | 07:21
“Bangladesh prepared against the red ball. They’ve bowled Australia out and they’re batted with a lot more technical maths and discipline. And where does that come from? They’re hardened by playing two testing against Pakistan, and then against Zimbabwe on a very uneven surface, where they went in without their major bowlers, and were beaten soundly, but they were ready for Test cricket.
“With Australia, we thought they would bounce back (on Friday morning), we expected the big recoil after criticism of that first day effort, but … there is rust.
It’s a long it’s a long period
“It’s a long it’s a long period of test career for them, and obviously there’s bigger fish to fry, and they’re not out of this game, but it is worrying because there are questions being asked about players and there is a lot of Test cricket to come.”
While the program for the South Africa tour is already set in stone, with Australia to play three match ODI series in Zimbabwe and against the Proteas preceding the highly-anticipated three Tests through October.
But Gilchrist said it might serve the Aussies well to consider red ball outings, though he is mindful of the crammed calendar.
It’s a different landscape now and it’s hard
“It’s a different landscape now and it’s hard to comment, really, on what the right preparation is by comparing it to years gone by just with the types of cricket and the volume of cricket that’s around now,” he said.
Bangladesh pile pain of Aussies | 03:00
“It is almost more just an individual preparation that they focus on now. There’s very little high intensity competition base-work done as a collective. Instead it is training camps or individuals getting overs under their belt when they’re away with other franchises. I think we’re all aware that’s the nature of the beast and the challenges that the support staff and coaching staff face.
“But clearly that one game that Bangladesh played allowed them to blow off any cobwebs and get themselves into a little bit of rhythm, so I’m sure the Aussies will look at that. It might be something they could look at leading into South Africa.”
Aside from making sure Bangladesh has to bat
Aside from making sure Bangladesh has to bat again and then trying to set the Tigers a challenging target, Alyssa Healy noted there is another reason for the Aussie top order to dig in properly over the weekend.
After a backbreaking day in the heat in Darwin, the Aussie attack will need time to refresh in order to have enough pep in their step to mount a challenge in the second innings.
“The batters have to do their job. You have to give the bowlers time to rest. They have to give these quicks as much of a break as possible as they try to come out here and win this Test match,” she said.
While it was unusual to see the vaunted
While it was unusual to see the vaunted attack toil without great reward on Friday, both O’Keeffe and Gilchrist noted they had sharpened up from their deeds late on the first day, which is encouraging given the cricket to come.
The flip-side to that is that the Aussies will not want to endure too many days like that again given the prospect of playing 21 Tests over the next 12 months, particularly given the injury concerns they endured during the Ashes.
Smith equals all-time catches record | 00:48
Nathan Lyon was unlucky not to snare centurion Tanzid Hasan when he was on 62, with Steve Smith spilling a difficult chance in slips, though the latter later rebounded with three fine efforts to level Joe Root’s record of Test match catches.
Lyon, too, was able to snare Hasan
Lyon, too, was able to snare Hasan for 101 in an innings where the Aussie quartet of champions have already bowled at least 18 overs against a Bangladesh side that have adjusted superbly to the conditions.
“I think as he has got into his work, he has looked better. Early on, it showed he was not match-hardened and that is quite reasonable given he has not played,” O’Keeffe said.
“This pitch does not have a lot of bounce for him – it is a softer pitch – but he has done enough. He is getting through his action well with every over, so the signs are positive.”
Mark Waugh noted there will be a few
Mark Waugh noted there will be a “few sore bodies in the Australian camp and the masseuse will have their work cut out” and Gilchrist believes that as taxing as Friday proved, he is certain Pat Cummins and co will relish the challenge ahead.
“I think they will welcome the challenge and are probably enjoying the opportunities to really climb into some hard work and enjoy hard fought Test cricket,” Gilchrist said.
“It’s a great reminder of the skills and the challenges of Test cricket and how long it can be and how patient you’ve got to be.”
Hazlewood gets the breakthrough! | 00:38
A WHITE BALL SPECIALIST FLOURISHES IN DARWIN
David Warner has a theory when it comes
David Warner has a theory when it comes to ODI specialists, noting that if a player can succeed at the top of the order in the longer form of white ball cricket, they should be able to adapt to red ball cricket as well.
The ex-Aussie opener made the observation while praising Tanzid Hasan, who batted superbly to score a maiden Test century in just his second red ball after forcing his way into the team
He said that because the top order batters face two new balls in ODIs, they should be able to adapt to facing the new ball in Test cricket, provided they have the temperament to show patience when at the crease as Hasan has done in Darwin.
It is a point O’Keeffe agrees with, stating
It is a point O’Keeffe agrees with, stating that Hasan had demonstrated good talent in ODI cricket, which includes half-centuries in his two most recent matches against Zimbabwe last month, to show he could be a threat.
“I’ve seen tons of Hasan in white ball cricket and he has got a strike rate of 101, so he knows how to find the boundary,” O’Keeffe said.
“All he needed was to be able to hold back his natural instincts, let the ball go a little bit and get in and he was going to have enough force to hurt Australia and that is exactly how he played. It is no surprise that he adapted so well.
He has got international runs and he got
“He has got international runs and he got runs against Australia (54) in one of the one-dayers he played as well, so he knows what is going on.”
Kayo Sports expert analyst Adam Gilchrist described the innings of Hasan, who was a star in Bangladesh’s under-19 World Cup winning team in 2020 but took his time to break through at Test level for various reasons, as “a masterclass”.
“(He has a) fine temperament, an innings built around a sound technique with solid defence,” Gilchrist said.
Source: www.bing.com
