Darwin Test: Santo’s Bangla Tigers script the mother of all upsets

For more than 25 years after being bestowed with Test status in 2000, the Bangla Tigers have lived with a question mark over whether they really belonged to the club. They have enjoyed the reputation of being a sprightly white-ball side, with several remarkable wins to their credit, such as upsetting the applecart of India in the 2007 ODI World Cup and knocking England out of the 2015 edition. But the longest format remained their Achilles heel despite the odd spark.

However, the heist at Darwin on Sunday, 16 August will eventually silence their critics, as their historic nine-wicket win over no. 1-ranked Test side Australia has begun topping the charts of the five biggest upsets in the history of the format.

The way the underdogs controlled the game — with young paceman Hasan Mahmud setting the early tempo, ton-up Tanzid Hasan and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto showing character against a full-strength Aussie attack, and finally Mehidy Hasan Miraz coming to the party — was purely the stuff dreams are made of.

Mehidy, a top-quality right-arm off-spinner and all-rounder, has to be one of the most underrated cricketers in the business — largely because of his team’s somewhat underwhelming record in international cricket. It’s been exactly 10 years since he spun a web around England in Mirpur when the latter, being 100 without loss while chasing 273, collapsed to hand Bangladesh one of their most significant victories.

However, the one scripted at Darwin was in a different league altogether — and no one will grudge Shanto’s take at the presentation: "This is the biggest win so far for Bangladesh in any format. Going forward, we want to do something special in the future. I’m very happy, proud of myself and the way the boys played. We did a lot of hard work."

Looking at Bangladesh’s feat through the prism of history, they have often surprised their opponents — like the one against England at home in 2016, beating the Aussies at Dhaka in 2017, an away win in New Zealand in 2022 and then a 2-0 series win in Pakistan in 2024. The team has had its share of world-class performers, but would often be subjected to ridicule for the officials’ and supporters’ penchant for whinging and conspiracy theories.

As emotions were running high, Habibul Bashar, a former captain and now chairman of the selection committee, told Sportstar in an interview: "It was a big statement for Bangladesh. Many ridiculed us, saying that the match would be over in a couple of days, but the boys believed in themselves. To come here and beat Australia in a Test is a huge achievement."

Incidentally, the venue, Marrara Oval in Darwin, held a special significance for Bashar, as it was here 23 years ago that he scored a gritty half-century but could only watch Bangladesh succumb to an innings defeat to Australia in 2003. It was the last time the Tigers were invited to play a Test series in Australia, but the comeback could not have been sweeter. 

Looking ahead, Bangladesh have a task on their hands when the second and final Test begins at South Mackay next weekend. Barely a week ago, they were bundled out for 54 in a warm-up game, and it’s only natural to expect a sharp rebuttal from the Aussies. The onus will be on Shanto’s men to build on an extraordinary win and show it was not a flash in the pan.

Top 5 greatest Test upsets

Australia vs Bangladesh, Darwin (2026)
Bangladesh completed a historic nine-wicket thrashing of a full-strength Australia in Darwin to record their first-ever Test win on Australian soil. Propelled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s brilliant spell and a solid first-innings total of 426, Bangladesh dominated the hosts across four days to pull off a monumental shock.

India vs Australia, Kolkata (2001)
Australia arrived at Eden Gardens on a record 16-match Test winning streak and forced India to follow on. VVS Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) batted through an entire day in an epic 376-run partnership, setting up an improbable 171-run victory that halted Australia’s juggernaut.

Australia vs West Indies, Brisbane (2021)
A depleted, inexperienced West Indies side missing several first-choice players stunned Australia at the Gabba — where the hosts hadn’t lost a Test in 32 years. Rookie fast bowler Shamar Joseph took 7-68 in a fiery spell during the final evening session to seal a thrilling eight-run win.

Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, Peshawar (1998)
Playing away against a star-studded Pakistan line-up, Zimbabwe put on a clinical team performance. Led by disciplined bowling from Heath Streak and Henry Olonga, they restricted Pakistan and comfortably chased down a 162-run target with seven wickets in hand.

New Zealand vs India (2024)
India walked into this series with an 18-Test unbeaten home run stretching back 12 years, while New Zealand hadn’t tasted victory on Indian soil since 1988. However, in Bengaluru, Matt Henry and William O’Rourke bowled India out for a shocking 46, setting up an eight-wicket win. Pune brought more misery, with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner claiming 13 wickets across the match to seal a 113-run victory. The final blow landed in Mumbai, where Ajaz Patel picked up 11 wickets to complete a 25-run win and a stunning 3-0 clean sweep.