Shanto Says Entire Bangladesh Team Deserved Player-of-the-Match Award After Historic Australia Win

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hailed his team’s collective effort after Bangladesh secured a historic nine-wicket victory over Australia in the first Test in Darwin, saying the entire squad deserved the Player-of-the-Match award.

The victory was Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win on Australian soil and came in only their third Test match in the country. Fast bowler Hasan Mahmud was officially named Player of the Match after taking nine wickets, but Shanto credited the whole team for the memorable achievement.

Shanto reserved particular praise for Bangladesh’s fast bowlers Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain, whose incisive bowling on the opening day set the tone for the match. The trio dismissed Australia for 198 after Shanto lost the toss.

“If you look at the first session of the match, I think the way Hasan, Taskin and Ebadot bowled, that set the tone for this match,” Shanto said.

Hasan was especially impressive, continuing a strong run of performances that included county cricket in England before the tour. Shanto noted that Hasan’s experience in similar conditions helped him make an immediate impact in Darwin.

Bangladesh’s fast bowlers took all 10 Australian wickets in an innings for only the second time in the country’s Test history.

The spin department also played a crucial role. Mehidy Hasan Miraz claimed his 15th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, while Taijul Islam made a vital contribution with both bat and ball. Taijul dismissed Marnus Labuschagne at a crucial stage of Australia’s second innings despite carrying a finger injury.

Shanto praised the experience of his two senior spinners and their ability to adapt to the conditions.

“I thought Miraz used the conditions pretty well, especially in the second innings,” he said. “They have their experience. They have played a lot of Test matches and they know their role.”

Bangladesh’s batting effort was equally significant. Tanzid Hasan scored his maiden Test century in just his second match, while the lower order helped Bangladesh build a commanding first-innings total of 426.

Shanto was particularly proud of the resilience shown by the tailenders, who remained at the crease for 52.3 overs.

“I think the Bangladesh team should be given the Player-of-the-Match trophy. Everyone contributed in some way or other,” Shanto said.

He also singled out Tanzid’s century and Miraz’s all-round performance, while praising Hasan Mahmud, Taijul, Taskin and Ebadot for their valuable runs down the order.

“I'm really proud of the way our lower order batted in this game,” Shanto said. “We usually don't get a lot out of their batting, so this was a really important contribution in this game.”

The victory came after a difficult preparation period for Bangladesh. They had been bowled out for just 54 in their only practice match in Darwin and had suffered an innings defeat against Zimbabwe in their previous Test.

However, Shanto said the team refused to allow those setbacks to affect their confidence.

“We spoke about our mistakes, but we were also giving everyone a chance to bat and bowl in that game,” he said, emphasizing that the practice match was treated as preparation rather than a reflection of the team’s potential.

Bangladesh also drew confidence from their 2-0 Test series victory over Pakistan in May, which remained in the players’ minds despite the subsequent defeat to Zimbabwe.

Ahead of the Australia tour, Shanto said the team had discussed the rarity of playing in Australia, particularly for a generation of Bangladesh cricketers who had never experienced a Test tour there.

Rather than worrying about Australia’s world-class batting and bowling attacks, Bangladesh focused on embracing the challenge.

“We wanted to enjoy doing these things rather than feel worried about the conditions,” Shanto said. “We accepted the challenge, which showed in the way we adapted and enjoyed in this Test match.”

Following the historic victory, Shanto said the team received congratulations from Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the Bangladesh Cricket Board president and the home minister.

He also encouraged the players and supporters to celebrate the landmark achievement.

“I prefer keeping myself grounded. It is my nature,” Shanto said. “We should definitely celebrate this win. We get these moments very few times in our life, so we should spend the whole day in celebrating this win.”

The result marks a landmark moment for Bangladesh cricket and gives the team significant momentum as they continue their Test tour of Australia.