Bangladesh arrived in Australia as overwhelming underdogs, but Player of the Match Hasan Mahmud says the Tigers never allowed the scale of the challenge to distract them from what they believed they could achieve.
Bangladesh completed a historic nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin on Sunday, securing their first-ever Test win on Australian soil after dominating much of the four-day contest.
For Hasan, the victory was not about dreaming of the result before the match. It was about trusting the preparation and sticking to the process.
“Before the match in practice sessions, we’ve been doing our best every day, every second,” Hasan said after the victory. “We kept in our mind that whatever happens, just be yourself and follow the process and don’t think about the outcome.”
The mindset was particularly important after Bangladesh had been bowled out for just 54 in the second innings of their tour match against a Cricket Australia XI.
They then faced an Australian batting line-up featuring some of the biggest names in Test cricket, but Bangladesh's bowlers quickly showed they were ready for the challenge.
Hasan led the charge on the opening day with a career-best 6-55 as Australia were bowled out for 198. Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain took two wickets each, with Bangladesh's pacers claiming all 10 wickets.
Hasan said the bowling unit had prepared specifically for Australia, working with the coaching staff and studying the opposition before putting their plans into action.
“We got some team plans, sitting with the team guys and coaches, watching the videos and making plans where are we going through, and then we did the same in the ground,” he said.
The execution of those plans gave Bangladesh control from the opening day. They went on to make 426, their second-highest Test total against Australia, and took a 228-run first-innings lead.
Australia fought back through Cameron Green's unbeaten 104 in the second innings, but Bangladesh's bowlers again refused to let the hosts escape. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took 5-66 as Australia were bowled out for 284, leaving Bangladesh only 57 to win.
The Tigers completed the chase in 14.2 overs to seal a nine-wicket victory.
For Hasan, the discipline shown by the bowling attack was central to the result.
“Every bowler has done very good with their patience and with their process,” he said. “They followed that, just be on the line and length and keep going at it, and then the result is here now.”
