Published: 12:10 AM, 15 August 2026
Tanzid ton puts Bangladesh in command against Australia
Opener TanzidHasanTamim struck his maiden century as Bangladesh tightened their grip on the first Test against Australia, with a powerful batting display at the Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin on Friday.
Tanzid hit a sublime 101 off 197 while captainNajmulHossainShanto added 84, leading Bangladesh to a 351-6 at stumps on Day 2.
MehidyHasanMiraz was batting on 32 with Hasan Mahmud on 13 as Bangladesh ended the day with a 153-run lead. Hasan earlier on Day 1 claimed 6-55 to bowl Australia out for 198.
Resuming the day 96-1, Bangladesh ruined Australia's hope to take the advantage of the early moisture of the wicket in morning session with Tanzid and MominulHaque, the two overnight batters playing sensibly against a vaunted Aussie pace attack.
Tanzid and Mominul shared a 102-run partnership for the second wicket before the latter was dismissed for 49. The stand fell just short of Bangladesh's highest second-wicket partnership in Australia - the 108 runs between Habibul Bashar and HannanSarkar in Cairns in 2003.
With the pitch easing to bat on after the first hour of the morning session, Tanzid unfurled some powerful strokes to make the Aussie pace attack disarray.
However, Australia got the first breakthrough of the day when Josh Hazlewood dismissed MominulHaque as the batter was just one shy of his half-century.
Tanzid continued dominating the attack to help Bangladesh go past the Australian first innings total.
Tanzid, playing only his second Test, showed unwavering resolve throughout his innings. He reached his first fifty from 102 balls, with five fours, before accelerating to his second fifty in just 86 balls, adding three more boundaries and a six.
He completed the milestone in the 64th over when he pushed off-spinner Nathan Lyon towards long-on for a single. By doing so, he became the first Bangladesh batter to score a Test century on Australian soil.
A moment of madness cost Tanzid's wicket as he holed out Lyon to long-off, ending a brilliant knock that made him only the second Asian batter after Pakistan great Hanif Mohammad to hit a century on Australian soil in his maiden Test innings.
Tanzid's dismissal brought an end to the 93-run third wicket partnership between him and captainNajmulHossainShanto but Australia agony was not abated.
Shanto and seasoned campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim further put the mighty hosts on sword, adding 66 runs which was only broken when Hazlewood got the better of Shanto, denying him a century.
The last session brought some relief for a tired Australian pace attack when they removed Mushfiqur and Liton Das in quick succession, indicating to claw back into the contest.
But the partnership of Miraz and Hasan restored Bangladesh's control, keeping the side firmly on course of a historical victory on Australian soil.
Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc took two wickets apiece while captain Cummins and Lyon picked up one each.
