Mackay, 21 August 2026:
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto wants his team to put the emotion of its emphatic victory over Australia behind it and start again as it looks to complete a historic series win in the second Test beginning Saturday at Great Barrier Reef Arena.
Bangladesh arrived in Mackay with a 1-0 lead in the two-match series after beating Australia by nine wickets in Darwin, where the tourists dominated much of the contest and completed the victory on the fourth day.
Shanto said Friday that while the result was a proud moment for Bangladesh cricket, his players could not afford to dwell on it.
“It’s a proud moment for all of the players, even the ex-cricketers from Bangladesh,” Shanto said. “But it’s done, I think. It’s gone and we need to play again five days of good cricket.”
Bangladesh’s victory in Darwin was built around a commanding all-round performance. Australia was dismissed for 198 after choosing to bat, with Hasan Mahmud taking 6-55. Bangladesh responded with 426, led by Tanzid Hasan’s 101, Shanto’s 84 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 65.
Australia showed greater resistance in its second innings, with Cameron Green making 104, but were bowled out for 284. Mehidy took 5-66 and Hasan added three wickets to finish with nine for the match. Bangladesh then chased 57 for the loss of one wicket.
Shanto said the challenge now was ensuring the players reset mentally after one of Bangladesh’s most significant Test victories.
“Before we came here, we always talked about this is going to be a very challenging series for us,” he said. “We have to enjoy these opportunities and this challenge.”
Shanto acknowledged there had been “a lot of emotion” following the first Test but said the responsibility of professional players was to quickly prepare for the next challenge. He credited Bangladesh’s experienced players with helping the younger members of the squad refocus during training in Mackay.
Conditions could provide Bangladesh with a considerably different examination.
Shanto said Mackay had been colder and windier than Darwin during Bangladesh’s preparations, while the pitch could offer more bounce. He said the players had used two days of practice to adjust to the conditions.
“I think in this condition, there will be a little bit more extra bounce than Darwin,” Shanto said.
Bangladesh had prepared for bouncier surfaces before traveling to Australia, Shanto said, while its recent home series against Zimbabwe also provided some preparation for similar conditions. He said the batters had spent their net sessions working specifically on the skills required to deal with the additional bounce.
The conditions could also leave Bangladesh with a selection decision over whether to alter the bowling combination that proved successful in Darwin.
Shanto backed the versatility of Bangladesh’s spin attack and said he was comfortable retaining a three-seamer, two-spinner combination. Mehidy’s five-wicket haul in Australia’s second innings in Darwin reinforced his belief that Bangladesh’s spinners can be effective away from traditional spin-friendly conditions.
“I said many times that the spin attack we have, they are very experienced,” Shanto said. “They can bowl any condition and they know how to bowl this kind of condition.”
Bangladesh also has additional pace options available if conditions convince the team to field a fourth fast bowler. Shanto said the squad’s five pace bowlers were ready, while emphasizing that having two spinners capable of operating effectively in different conditions gave Bangladesh flexibility.
The wind in Mackay could assist the quicks as well. Shanto said bowlers who use it effectively could generate additional swing.
Bangladesh will wait until Saturday morning before settling on its final XI and deciding what it would do at the toss. Shanto described the surface as a “good wicket” and a “sporting wicket,” but said the morning weather could influence the decision to bat or bowl first.
There is also a fitness question surrounding opener Tanzid Hasan, who scored his century in the first Test. Shanto said Tanzid had batted in training, describing that as encouraging, but Bangladesh would wait for a final medical assessment before making a decision.
The Darwin victory was particularly notable for the patience Bangladesh displayed against Australia’s experienced attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. Bangladesh occupied 138 overs in its first innings, establishing a 228-run lead that ultimately proved decisive.
Shanto said that approach was dictated by the opposition and conditions rather than representing a fixed template for how Bangladesh intends to play Test cricket.
“We’re not going to play every single Test match in the same way,” he said. “We try to adjust the condition. We try to focus how they’re going to attack us and prepare for that way.”
Against an Australian side with vastly greater Test experience, patience had been central to Bangladesh’s plan in Darwin.
“As a Bangladesh Test team, we are not experienced enough,” Shanto said. “So, we have to be patient and that was the plan.”
Shanto also views facing Australia’s attack in its own conditions as an opportunity for Bangladesh’s batters to measure themselves against one of the toughest challenges in international cricket.
“Before I came here, I really wanted to face this kind of bowling attack,” he said. “Because I always believed that if I can score against this kind of bowling attack, I can be able to score any of the bowling attacks.”
Bangladesh now has the opportunity to turn its breakthrough win in Darwin into a series victory, but Shanto’s message ahead of the second Test was centered less on what his team has already accomplished than on what it must do next.
“Yes, we did a great job,” Shanto said, “but we need to focus on this Test match.”
