The Australia vs Bangladesh Test series began with a difficult opening day for the hosts, as Bangladesh's impressive pace attack exposed Australia's batting weaknesses at Marrara Stadium in Darwin. Australia were dismissed for 198 in 53 overs before Bangladesh responded strongly, reaching 96 for one by the close of play.



Hasan Mahmud was the star performer for Bangladesh, finishing with outstanding figures of six wickets for 55 runs. 777onlinebook The 26-year-old paceman produced the best innings figures of his Test career and consistently troubled Australian batters with accurate bowling on a surface offering assistance to the seamers.



Australia's innings got off to a shaky start. Jake Weatherald managed 23 runs but struggled to establish control before edging Hasan Mahmud to the slips. Travis Head then departed for 22 after chopping a delivery onto his stumps, leaving Australia under early pressure.



Marnus Labuschagne's difficult period with the bat continued when he was dismissed for only one run. Playwin567 Ebadot Hossain found the edge of his bat, with Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto completing the catch. Cameron Green also failed to provide stability, scoring 13 before a poor shot resulted in his dismissal before lunch.



With Australia reduced to 74 for four, Steve Smith became the central figure of the innings. The experienced batter survived some early pressure and gradually found his rhythm. Bangladesh had opportunities to dismiss him, but Smith remained composed and began putting pressure back on the bowlers.



Smith attacked the spin of Taijul Islam with confidence, striking a six before finding the boundary through the covers. His experience allowed him to control the scoring despite the regular fall of wickets at the other end. He eventually top-scored for Australia with a valuable 71 runs.



Alex Carey contributed 19 before Ebadot Hossain dismissed him after lunch. Beau Webster followed for 12 when Taskin Ahmed produced an excellent delivery. Captain Pat Cummins scored nine, while Mitchell Starc made one before both were dismissed by Hasan Mahmud.



Smith's innings eventually ended when he attempted to accelerate the scoring with the lower order. He skied a shot against Hasan Mahmud and departed for 71, leaving Bangladesh with the opportunity to finish the day in a dominant position.



Mitchell Starc did provide Australia with a notable individual milestone. His dismissal of Shadman Islam, who scored 20, took Starc to 434 Test wickets. The achievement made him the most successful left-arm bowler in Test history by wicket tally.



Bangladesh's response was confident from the beginning. Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam gave the visitors a positive start before Starc removed Shadman. Tanzid remained unbeaten on 32 at the end of the day, while Mominul Haque was not out on 35.



The Bangladesh batters appeared comfortable during the final session, leaving Australia facing a challenging situation after the opening day's play. The visitors finished at 96 for one and had already reduced the first-innings deficit significantly.



The opening day of Australia vs Bangladesh demonstrated the effectiveness of Bangladesh's pace bowling and highlighted the importance of Steve Smith's contribution to Australia's total. Hasan Mahmud's six-wicket haul was the defining performance of the day, while Australia's top order struggled to cope with the conditions.



Bangladesh now have a strong platform heading into the next stage of the Test. Australia, meanwhile, will need early wickets to prevent the visitors from building a substantial first-innings lead. The contest remains finely poised, with both teams facing important challenges as the match progresses.