Bangladesh created history in Darwin, but they may go a step further in Mackay.
By now, you have come to terms with Bangladesh’s win at Darwin. You had spent the first three and a half days believing Australia would conjure some Australianism (that everyone is so tired of) and pull it off. You thought they would somehow Glennmaxwell them away.
But now that you have accepted the result, you have switched to the decider, the first ever Test match in Mackay. The cynic in you has found its voice by now. You believe that Australia will avenge Darwin in Mackay. Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has already warned his team that the hosts are going to “come harder”.
Of course they will. This is after all the most successful team in Test cricket history. They hold the Ashes and the rubber against India. They made it to the last two WTC finals and are heading the table in this one.
Yet, all that held true throughout the first Test and look where we are. You thought somehow they would conjure some magic but Bangladesh kept increasing the gap with every day. Smith could not prevent a first-day collapse against the seamers. The famed bowling attack could not keep the lead under 200. And then they collapsed again, this time to off-breaks.
Collapses can happen (even twice in a Test), but the scarier aspect was the inability of Australia’s bowlers to break through, especially when the Bangladesh tail hung on stubbornly with Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The Tigers kept Australia’s ageing bowlers on the field for 138 overs – not the ideal start to the hosts’ upcoming 20-Test stretch.
Of Bangladesh’s top seven, Shadman Islam and Litton Das missed out during that phase of defiance, but Shadman looked comfortable in that puny chase later on. There is little reason to worry over crisis man Das (you know what he is capable of): he is probably awaiting another one of those situations.
Litton Das’s Test hundreds
| Details | Litton | Bangladesh’s score |
| vs Pakistan, Chattogram 2021/22 | 114 | 49-4 to 330 |
| vs New Zealand, Christchurch 2021/22 | 102 | 128-5 to 278 |
| vs Sri Lanka, Mirpur 2022 | 141 | 24-5 to 365 |
| vs Pakistan, Rawalpindi 2024 | 138 | 26-6 to 262 |
| vs Pakistan, Sylhet 2026 | 126 | 116-6 to 278 |
Das’s other hundred (128 against Ireland at Mirpur in 2024/25) was an aberration. There was no pressure compared to the ones on the table above.
That brings us to the bowlers. The last first-class match in Mackay was in November 2024, when India A were bowled out for 107 and Australia A for 195. Medium-pacers Brendan Doggett and Mukesh Kumar took six wickets apiece. Then the wicket eased out. In October 2025, India U19 won a Youth Test in under two days of cricket. Their seamers shared 13 wickets at under 10 apiece.
Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Ebadot Hossain would like that. Having missed out on being a part of history, a fit-again Shoriful Islam will be raring to go at the Australians. If he plays, Ebadot or Taijul Islam may make way depending on the conditions at Mackay.
Great teams seldom have knee-jerk reactions. Australia have made only one change to the squad from Darwin (though they may make more to the XI). The selectors dropped Jake Weatherald, churned the pool, and came up with Matt Renshaw, who has had a most singular career so far (11 Tests until 2018, forgotten, three more in 2023, forgotten again, ODI debut in end-2025, T20I debut in early 2025, and now a mid-series Test recall at the age of 30).
A timely hundred and Marnus Labuschagne’s continuing poor run have taken the focus off Cameron Green, but both will come under the radar during Australia’s very long, very intense year of Test cricket. Keeping the impending workload of the fast bowlers in mind, Australia may bring in Scott Boland for one of their fast bowlers (or for Nathan Lyon, if they go all-seam).
Chasing history and future
“We came here to play two Tests, not one,” captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had reminded everyone after the first Test.
England had won the two-Test 1886/87 Ashes 2-0, and the one-off Test in the 1887/88 Ashes. No team has clean-swept Australia in a men’s Test series in Australia since then. Bangladesh are eyeing to emulate a feat from an era before Don Bradman was even born.
But that is not the only thing at stake here. With a PCT of 66.67, Bangladesh are definite contenders for the WTC final this time. Four wins in their remaining eight Tests will take them past 60. Five wins will mean 69.44 – and a near-certain berth in the final.
Bangladesh’s schedule includes two home Tests against each of the West Indies and England. A win here and full points from those home Tests should see them through.If that seems far-fetched, remember that every edition of the WTC has had at least one new finalist. Bangladesh would be looking to keep that tradition going.
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