Bangladesh notched their maiden Test victory over Australia on this day (August 30) in 2017. Seven years have passed but interestingly, it still remains the only win for the Asian side against the mighty Aussies in the longest format. Bangladesh’s legendary all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan deserves much credit for the historic success in that Mirpur Test.
It was the first time that the Australian side toured Bangladesh to play a Test series of two matches. The visitors featured in a warm-up game against Bangladesh Cricket Board XI before going into the main assignment.
BANGLADESH’S FINEST HOUR | PHOTOS
The then-Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss in the first Test and elected to bat first. Except for opener Tamim Iqbal’s gritty 71, there were no notable contributions from other top-order batters. Bangladesh had lost three wickets in the first four overs when Shakib Al Hasan took over the charge, joining hands with Iqbal.
The duo added 155 runs together, saving their team from a potential batting collapse. Shakib hit 11 boundaries during his 133-ball innings to score 84 runs. Following his dismissal, only Nasir Hossain could register 20-plus score as Bangladesh were bundled out for 260. For Australia, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar each picked up three wickets.
After his innings-reviving knock, Shakib Al Hasan excelled with the ball as well. He fetched a five-wicket haul while recording seven maidens in his 25.5 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also had a good outing and got three wickets under his belt. Matt Renshaw and Ashton Agar were the only standout batters for Australia and contributed 45 and 41 runs respectively. Thanks to Shakib’s dominant bowling, the away side was all out at 217 runs.
Tamim Iqbal once again gave Bangladesh a good start but fell short of support. This time, captain Mushfiqur Rahim chipped in with a 41-run knock but Shakib Al Hasan managed only five. With Nathan Lyon taking six wickets, Australia restricted Bangladesh to 221 runs.
The Steve Smith-led side had a target of 265 in the fourth innings. David Warner looked to be a man on a mission as he scored 112 runs. The other batters, however, failed to hold the wicket at the other end.
Most of them, as well as, Warner himself fell victim to Shakib Al Hasan, who once again bagged five wickets to register the second ten-wicket haul of his career in Tests. Australia ultimately fell 20 runs short of the required total and the match ended on the fourth day.
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