Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has challenged his teammates to maintain their current momentum as they look toward the next Test in Mackay. While celebrating a historic victory on Australian soil in Darwin, the star performer cautioned that the upcoming challenge will be significantly tougher as the hosts look to bounce back.
The victory was anchored by a standout performance from Mehidy, who contributed a vital half-century with the tail in the first innings before claiming a five-wicket haul during Australia’s second innings. His bowling efforts helped dismiss the hosts for 284, setting up a modest target of 57 runs which Bangladesh successfully chased down on the fourth afternoon.
Reflecting on the achievement, Mehidy described the win as an incredible feeling, noting that few expected such a result in these conditions. He emphasized that while the team remains focused on the possibility of a series win, they are taking a measured approach. “Winning a Test match is never easy. We want to carry this momentum forward, and we will plan for the next match later,” he stated.
Mehidy highlighted that his performance in Darwin stands out as the best of his 12 five-wicket hauls in the format. He expressed deep satisfaction with his dual role, explaining that his primary goal while batting was to build a significant lead alongside the bowlers. Regarding his bowling, he remarked, “Taking five wickets in these conditions against a team like this feels like a true blessing for me as a spinner.”
The all-rounder was quick to credit the team management for the squad’s mental turnaround following a demoralizing loss to a Cricket Australia XI in the lead-up to the Test. He specifically praised team manager Nafis Iqbal for his personal encouragement and technical support in the nets, as well as coach Mushtaq Ahmed, who urged the players to maintain faith after the warm-up defeat. “Starting from those small things, we began to believe, and you can all see the results today,” Mehidy noted.
The victory also drew praise from Australian cricket legends, a moment that left a lasting impression on the Bangladesh side. Mehidy shared his excitement after an interview with Adam Gilchrist, who expressed surprise at the quality of cricket displayed by the visitors. “He said, ‘You guys surprised us. We never thought that you can play cricket like this.’ When such a legendary player speaks so well about our team, I feel very good about myself,” Mehidy concluded.
Mehidy said he enjoyed both his roles in the game but termed his bowling performance in Darwin the best of his 12 five-fers in the format so far.
Mehidy also credited Bangladesh’s team management for restoring the players’ belief after they were bowled out for 54 and beaten by a Cricket Australia XI in their practice game before the Test.
We believed, but at the end of the day, the result isn’t in our hands, we can only try.
People say a lot of things at times, but at the end of the day, when everyone performs well, it feels great.
“Of course we are thinking that way [clinching the series] and we want to stay focused on the approach we’ve taken.
Since we won the first match, an even bigger challenge awaits us.
When I went in to bat, my only thought then was how to work with the bowlers to build a massive lead.
Mentally, I was prepared knowing that whatever runs I scored would help the team.
We didn’t have any plan like that [to prove any point]…
The way we staged a comeback, the entire team deserves credit for it.
But the management deserves huge credit for boosting our confidence.
I was very happy mentally and talked to him a lot.
At one point, he even bowled to me in the nets, and I faced his bowling.
“What I liked the most is that I saw all the legendary players here.
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