AUS vs BAN 2026: 'We are not looking at the outcome' - Najmul Hossain Shanto after Bangladesh's strong showing in Darwin

Bangladesh have put themselves in a strong position during the first Test against Australia at Darwin. The visitors took a 153-run first-innings lead after Australia had been restricted to 198 in their opening innings, with several batters making significant contributions to build a commanding total.

Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh's captain, reflected on his team's approach and mindset during the match. Speaking about the character shown over the course of the contest, Shanto outlined how Bangladesh have approached their cricket in this series.

"That was the plan, that we should try to at least play five days of cricket, but the way we showed character and the way we played the last three days is outstanding. So, really happy to see them play like this. We’re looking at session-by-session, not the outcome, but following the process," Shanto said as quoted by The Daily Star.

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What Mark Waugh said about Australia's chances?

Bangladesh's first-innings performance was built on solid batting contributions. Tanzid Hasan scored 101 off 197 balls for his maiden Test century, while Shanto himself made 84. Mominul Haque added 49 to help Bangladesh reach 351 for six, establishing a commanding position in the match.

Australia's second innings saw them reduced to 161 for four by the end of Day 3, leaving them 67 runs behind with six wickets remaining. Jake Weatherald struggled early in the innings, inside-edging an away-going ball and departing after just three deliveries. Cameron Green remained unbeaten on 43, while Alex Carey was not out on 19 as Australia faced a difficult task to recover.

Former Australia batter Mark Waugh assessed Australia's chances during the match. Waugh believed Australia had approximately 15 per cent chance of victory at that stage of the contest. He outlined how the first session of the next day would be crucial in determining whether Australia could shift the momentum.

"The first session tomorrow if Australia don’t lose a wicket and they wipe off that 67 (run deficit), then it might move up to about 30 per cent," Waugh said.

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Why Cameron Green holds the key for Australia?

Former Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy highlighted the importance of Cameron Green's contribution in the second innings. Healy stressed that if Green could build a substantial score and maintain focus, it would give Australia a genuine opportunity to compete for victory in the match.

"It’s a big innings for Cameron Green. If he can start well tomorrow and get himself a big score, and keep everyone externally quiet, he’s going to give Australia a real shot at getting a win," Healy said.