Hasan becomes first Bangladeshi bowler to take 5 wickets in Australia

What are the cricketers who dream of playing Test cricket like? There are only a handful of them in Bangladesh. Even fewer are the fast bowlers.

Hasan Mahmud stands proudly among them without any doubt. Saying that he just dreams of it probably does not capture the whole picture because he is also turning those dreams into reality.

Like he did today. Thanks to him, for the first time in Australia, a Bangladeshi pacer was seen taking at least five wickets.

Before leaving for Australia, Hasan had said that he wanted to take five wickets at least twice in the tour. He would even imagine himself doing it while alone. At the Marrara Stadium in Darwin, that imagination became reality as he took six wickets for 55 runs in the very first innings, his career-best bowling as well.

Across all three formats, this is the first time a Bangladeshi bowler has taken at least five wickets in Australia. Mashrafe Bin Mortaza had taken three wickets in a Test, while Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed had taken four wickets each in ODIs and T20Is respectively, which had previously been the highest figures for a Bangladeshi bowler in a single innings on Australian pitches. And Hasan surpassed them all.

During fielding in the Darwin Test, Hasan was also at the centre of Bangladesh’s dream start on the opening day. Despite failing to take a wicket in the first hour, Bangladesh bowled Australia out for 198 runs.

Hasan Mahmud started with Jake Weatherald, repeatedly bowling outside the off stump and tempting the opener into playing at deliveries. The wicket eventually came when Weatherald attempted a drive and edged Hasan’s delivery.

Hasan then accounted for Travis Head, who lost his balance against the extra bounce and movement and dragged the ball onto his stumps. That also marked the end of his first spell.

Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain maintained the pressure and picked up wickets as well in the middle session. Hasan returned to bowling after the lunch break and did not disappoint this time either.

When Pat Cummins edged his ball behind the wicket to get the third and Mitchell Stark got out the exact same way in his next over, he secured his fourth wicket.

Right after the tea break, captain Najmul brought Hasan back into the bowling attack. The wait for the fifth wicket did not last long for Hasan. Trying to pull his bouncer, Steve Smith gave a catch. That made it five wickets for Hasan.

Later, as the last batsman, Nathan Lyon also gave a catch off his bowling. All three of Hasan’s Test five-wicket hauls have now come away from home.

Hasan now holds the record among Bangladesh’s pacers for taking five wickets three times in Test matches overseas. Earlier in 2024, he took five wickets against India in the Chennai Test and against Pakistan in the Rawalpindi Test. He also has a five-wicket haul in county cricket in England.

However, taking five wickets in Australia will certainly hold a special place for Hasan. He did not take the credit alone though. He credited his teammates for maintaining pressure from the other end and helping him achieve it.

During the innings break, Hasan told Australian legend and commentator for this Test, Adam Gilchrist, "I was eager to play in Australia because they are one of the best teams in the world. I just bowled according to line and length, tried to follow the process and do what the captain said."