Underestimate the Aussies at your own peril: They can still floor high-flying Bangladesh in Darwin

The Aussies don’t deserve the kind of criticism they have received so far. If you think about it, that also belittles Bangladesh’s performance.

There is a natural tendency in us to support an underdog, especially if our team is not part of the contest. That is why there is so much joy among the neutrals as Bangladesh look set to upset Australia in the first Test at Darwin. At the end of day two on Friday, the visitors (351/6) had taken a 153-run first-innings lead and appeared in complete charge of the encounter.

The Aussies are down but not out yet! (AFP)

Yes, the Bangladeshis played well to be where they are at the moment but other factors also aided them. Let’s make it very clear right at the beginning that Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team deserves all the accolades they have been getting over the last couple of days. In recent months, Shanto has spoken of his desire to beat big teams like Australia and India. So, they have been preparing that way. Where there is ambition, there is a way, one can say that. But it’s not just that. Let’s take a look at the other factors.

To begin with, Australia played their last Test against England in early January. After a long gap of seven months, they are back to the format. It has only been white-ball international cricket since. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have played three this year with the last one happening in late June. Before that, in May, they had whitewashed Pakistan 2-0 at home.

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Australia also got it wrong with the choice of the venue. Test cricket returned to Darwin after 22 years. The Aussies experienced a lack of familiarity. If the venue was, say, one of the traditional ones like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide, things could have been very different. The weather conditions also made a big difference. Darwin is much warmer compared to those five venues. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the Bangladeshis kind of played in similar conditions back home.

International lull for main bowlers!

There is more. All four of Australia's main bowlers hadn't played any kind of international cricket in many months coming into this game. Josh Hazlewood last played an international game in October 2025; Pat Cummins last played in December 2025; Nathan Lyon last played in December 2025, and Mitchell Starc last played in January 2026. With the exception of the highly lucrative Indian Premier League, they, barring Lyon who doesn’t play in the IPL, were handled with utmost care. Is it a surprise now that they have failed to bowl as per their high standards?

So, apart from the fact that the Bangladeshis have done very well, these are some of the reasons that affected Australia’s performance. Having said that, to assert that the Aussies are now out of the contest will be a grave mistake. The Aussies are known for not giving up, no matter what. So, assuming Bangladesh have already won this game will be ignorance on the neutrals’ part. They can very well come back into the contest. As all-rounder Beau Webster suggested after day two, they needed to take the remaining Bangladeshi wickets cheaply and then bat for two days to bring themselves back. Teams have recovered from much tougher situations than this, so while Bangladesh are in the ascendancy, the home team can still turn it around. So neutrals, keep your joy in check. There is many a slip between the cup and the lip, and that it’s never over till it’s over.