Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahmud produced a career-best 6/55 to bowl Australia out for 198 in Darwin. His six-for made history, while his key wickets, including Steve Smith, helped trigger Australia's batting collapse on Day 1 of the first Test.
Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahmud stunned the Australia batting line-up with his fiery bowling on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test of the two-match series at Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin on Thursday, August 13.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins opted to bat first after winning the toss, but his decision completely backfired, as the hosts were bundled out for 198 in 53 overs. Initially, Australia were reduced to 74/4 in 22 overs before Steve Smith (71) and Alex Carey (20) attempted a brief recovery with a 56-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
For Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud led the bowling attack with figures of 6/55 at an economy rate of 3.40 in 16 overs. Taskin Ahmed (2/55) and Edabot Hossain (2/39) chipped in with crucial wickets, comprising a pace-bowling masterclass that completely rattled the hosts on a lively Darwin pitch.
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Hasan Mahmud Lights Up Darwin with Fiery Bowling
As Bangladesh managed to put Australia on the back foot early on the opening day of the first Test in Darwin, Hasan Mahmud stole the spotlight with his phenomenal spell of fast bowling, which relentlessly probed the outside edge and exploited the lively surface to perfection.
Since the pitch is known for its green and grassy surface, Mahmud capitalised on the opportunity to generate consistent seam movement, keeping the Australian batters under intense pressure throughout his spell. Mahmud provided the first breakthrough for Bangladesh by dismissing Jake Weatherald before bowling out Travis Head.
Thereafter, Hasan Mahmud picked up a big wicket of Steve Smith, who was caught out by Litton Das for 71 after attempting to force a delivery over cover, ending his 56-run partnership with Alex Carey. Then, Mahmud completed his innings with his six-wicket haul by removing Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, leaving the Australian tail with no answers and wrapping up a historic bowling performance on Day 1.
Hasan Mahmud’s crucial wickets of Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, and Steve Smith were a testament to his exceptional line and length, leaving the hosts completely bamboozled on a memorable opening day in Darwin.
Though Taskin Ahmed and Edabot Hossain chipped in with two wickets each to apply relentless pressure from the other end, it was Mahmud's relentless probing and impeccable control that ultimately broke the backbone of the Australian batting lineup.
Who is Hasan Mahmud?
Hasan Mahmud hails from Laxmipur district of Chattogram, where he developed his early passion for cricket, rising through the domestic ranks to spearhead the national pace attack. Mahmud first shot to international fame during the 2018 U19 World Cup, where he picked up nine wickets.
Thereafter, the 26-year-old performed consistently well in the Dhaka Premier League and the Bangladesh Premier League before earning his international cap in a T20I match against Zimbabwe in 2020. In the following year, Hasan Mahmud made his ODI debut against West Indies, where he immediately made an impact by picking up three wickets.
Hasan Mahmud waited for another three years to make his Test debut against Sri Lanka. In September 2024, Mahmud registered his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, before claiming another stellar fifer against Team India at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
In the ongoing first Test against Australia, Hasan Mahmud became the first Bangladeshi bowler to take six wickets on Australian soil, etching his name into the history books with a career-best spell of 6/55 at the Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin.
In his Test career, Hasan Mahmud picked up 42 wickets (including a six-wicket haul against Australia in the first innings in Darwin), while in ODIs, the young pacer took 33 wickets. In T20Is, Mahmud scalped 28 wickets across his white-ball appearances, cementing his status as one of Bangladesh's premier multi-format fast-bowling talents.
Also Read: Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed script history in first Test vs Australia
