Bangladesh’s bowlers outperformed Australia’s returning Big Four on the opening day of the first Test in Darwin, bowling the hosts out for 198 on Thursday.Hasan Mahmud took a career-best 6-55 as Bangladesh’s pace attack kept Australia’s batting under pressure. Bangladesh then reached 96-1 by stumps, reducing the first-innings deficit to 102 runs.“Excited to play in Australia,” Hasan said of Bangladesh’s first test match in Australia since 2003. “To get the opportunity to play in these conditions as well … I just tried to maintain the process and just follow what the captain was saying.”Australia won the toss and reached 45 without loss on a green-tinged pitch, but Hasan struck in his sixth and seventh overs to remove openers Jake Weatherald for 23 and Travis Head for 22.Taskin Ahmed took 2-55 and Ebadot Hossain 2-39 as Bangladesh’s fast bowlers used a consistent line and length to keep Australia in trouble through the first two sessions.Steve Smith was Australia’s main resistance, scoring 71 from 109 balls with seven fours and a six. He was the next-to-last batter dismissed, advancing at Hasan before top-edging a catch to wicketkeeper Litton Das.The day had started with Australia bringing together their first-choice bowling attack. Captain Pat Cummins returned to lead an attack featuring Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, known as Australia’s Big Four.Weatherald, who was playing in front of a home crowd in Darwin, never settled and was caught after swiping at Hasan. Head was then bowled after chopping a delivery from around the wicket onto his stumps.Ebadot dismissed Marnus Labuschagne for one, while Smith was dropped at third slip early in his innings. Bangladesh reduced Australia to 74-4 by lunch after Cameron Green was dismissed for 13.Ebadot removed Alex Carey for 19 after lunch, before Taskin bowled Beau Webster for 12. Hasan then dismissed Cummins for nine and Starc for one before completing his six-wicket haul with the wickets of Smith and Lyon.Australia’s bowlers, meanwhile, managed only one Bangladesh wicket before stumps.Shadman Islam made 20 before he edged Starc and was caught by Lyon at cover point, leaving Bangladesh at 36-1.Mominal Haque, on 35, and Tanzid Hasan, on 32, remained unbeaten at the close and shared a 60-run partnership.Smith said Australia’s lack of recent Test cricket had contributed to their slow start. The team had not played a Test for eight months.“It can take some time to get into it on occasions,” he said. Batting in the first session “wasn’t easy, wasn’t a heap of pace on the ball, and it was tacky and seaming around a bit.”The pitch had appeared different to Australia on match day, Smith said.“The bowlers looked at the wicket yesterday and they said it was rock hard, and then today when we rocked up with a bit of dew on the ground, it felt softer,” Smith added. “So hopefully the same tomorrow and the ball starts talking a bit in the morning.”The two-Test series in Australia’s Top End is the start of a 12-month schedule that includes 20 Tests for Australia, including tours of South Africa, India and England.
