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The 26-year-old pacer Hasan Mahmud produced a sensational spell to dismantle Australia in the first Test in Darwin, claiming six wickets as the hosts were bowled out for just 198. The Bangladesh pacer finished with outstanding figures of 6/55 from 17 overs, playing the leading role in a stunning collapse.
Australia's 198 is their lowest-ever total in Test cricket against Bangladesh and their second lowest first-innings score in a WTC Test at home. Steve Smith top-scored for Australia with 71, but no other batter managed to cross 25 as Bangladesh's bowlers kept the pressure on throughout the innings.
Hasan Mahmud's 6-wicket haul destroys Australia
Hasan struck repeatedly as Australia struggled to cope with Bangladesh's attack. He removed opener Travis Head for 22 and Jake Weatherald for 23, while Steve Smith's 71 also came to an end at the hands of the right-arm pacer.
Hasan returned later to clean up the Australian lower order, dismissing captain Pat Cummins for 9, Mitchell Starc for 1 and Nathan Lyon for 7. His six wickets accounted for a major portion of Australia's collapse.
Bangladesh also got important contributions from Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain, who took two wickets each. Australia were eventually bowled out in only 53 overs, with Josh Hazlewood unbeaten on 4.
The performance gave Hasan one of the most memorable bowling spells by a Bangladesh bowler in Australia and left the hosts facing an early uphill battle in the Test.
List of massive records created following Hasan Mahmud's masterclass
Hasan Mahmud's sensational 6/55 spell did more than bowl Australia out for 198. The Bangladesh pacer also etched his name into several record books with a performance that ranks among the finest by a visiting bowler in Australian conditions.
Hasan Mahmud became the first Bangladesh bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in Australia. The pacer achieved the milestone in his very first Test innings on Australian soil, joining a select group of overseas bowlers to have produced a five-wicket haul in the country.
His third five-wicket haul in Test cricket also moved him closer to the top among Bangladesh's fast bowlers. Shahadat Hossain leads the list with four five-wicket hauls, while Hasan now has three in just 15 Tests. Robiul Islam and Nahid Rana have two each. Notably, all three of Hasan's five-wicket hauls have come outside Bangladesh.
His 6/55 is also the best bowling performance by a Bangladesh player against Australia in Tests, surpassing Mohammad Rafique's 5/62 in Fatullah in 2006.
Five-wicket hauls for Bangladesh vs Australia in Tests:
6/55 – Hasan Mahmud, Darwin, 2026*
5/62 – Mohammad Rafique, Fatullah, 2006
5/68 – Shakib Al Hasan, Mirpur, 2017
5/85 – Shakib Al Hasan, Mirpur, 2017
Australia's total of 198 also made the innings historically poor by their standards. In the last 40 years, Australia had batted first in a home Test on 88 occasions, but had crossed below 200 only five times. Their previous such totals included 195 against India in Melbourne in 2020, 127 against Pakistan in Sydney in 2010, 119 against West Indies in Perth in 1993 and 167 against West Indies in Brisbane in 1988.
Hasan also became only the second player to claim six Test wickets in an innings in Darwin, adding another landmark to his remarkable outing.
I was very excited to play in Australia - Hasan Mahmud
Hasan Mahmud's performance was particularly significant because he had never played a Test in Australia before. Speaking to Fox Cricket's Adam Gilchrist after his memorable spell, the Bangladesh pacer revealed that playing against one of the world's strongest teams had been a major motivation.
“I was very excited to play in Australia because they are one of the best teams in the world,” Hasan Mahmud told Fox Cricket's Adam Gilchrist.
The pacer, who recently featured for English county side Kent, explained that he focused on keeping his approach simple rather than overthinking the conditions.
“Obviously getting the opportunity to play in these conditions as well. I just tried to bowl line and lengths. Maintain the process and follow what the captain was saying.”
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