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KABUL (SW): Bangladesh have claimed their first-ever Test win over Australia and one of the most memorable in their cricket history after triumphing by just 20 runs on a thrilling fourth day in Dhaka.
In his 50th Test but his first against Australia, Shakib Al Hasan confirmed his status as the game's leading all-rounder with one of the finest individual efforts the game has seen. On a pitch that assisted spinners from Day 1, Shakib rescued the hosts from a precarious 10/3 and slammed 84 to help them reach 260. He picked up five wickets in the first innings to join an elite list and grabbed same number of scalps in the final innings to guide Mushfiqur Rahim’s team to a famous victory.
Bangladesh’s win on the fourth day came in the first test the two teams have contested since 2006. A planned tour of Bangladesh by Australia in 2015 was canceled due to security concerns after an Italian charity worker was shot dead in Dhaka, and the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. The loss again highlighted Australia’s historic batting issues on pitches in sub-continental Asia – a 2-1 series loss in India this year came after a 3-0 defeat in Sri Lanka in 2016.
If Bangladesh also wins the second test, starting in Chittagong on Monday, Australia’s test ranking could slide to as low as sixth.
Bangladesh has won tests against England, Sri Lanka and Australia in the past year. In the previous 16 years of their test history, the Bangladeshis had defeated only Zimbabwe and a second-string West Indies team affected by a player strike. “It’s a great feeling, credit to the boys, especially to Shakib,” Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said.
ENDS
