August 13, 2026 — 6:41pmDarwin: Australia’s first day of Test cricket since January left them badly shown up by Bangladesh and will make the brutal 20 matches in 12 months look like a tour of duty set to end more than a few careers.Watched by a well-oiled Top-End crowd of 5233 at Marrara Stadium, this was a sobering day for the Australians, who now face a stiff task to fight their way back into the match – an unimaginable notion when the tourists were bowled out for 54 in their warm-up game.Hasan Mahmud waves the red Kookaburra to the crowd after his stellar bowling effort.Getty ImagesAt the same time, the sluggishness on display will only enhance the suspicions of many that the selectors may have been better off including one or two younger, hungry names in the squad to provide a sense of forward-thinking.“Right now, there are a couple of chinks in the armour and the selectors decided to stick with what they know,” former captain Ricky Ponting said on Seven. “At the end of last season, I thought the time was right now to blood a couple of youngsters into these two Test matches.”The sense of an Australian team far from full-throttle began when Pat Cummins oddly chose to bat first on a seaming pitch, and carried on through a poor first innings total of 198 and a spiky reply by a Bangladesh side (1-96) that are here chasing respect.None of Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne or Cameron Green did anything to quell growing questions about their places in the team with a trio of low scores, while Travis Head, Alex Carey and Beau Webster were unable to mount another relief operation.Ebadot Hossain celebrates the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne in the first Test in Darwin.Getty ImagesNot even top scorer Steve Smith, who scrounged his way to 71 while surviving several chances, was able to summon his best against a Bangladesh side that offered a facsimile of a solid Sheffield Shield bowling attack on a well-grassed and slow surface that rewarded accuracy over pace.Hasan Mahmud bowled splendidly to claim 6-55, well-supported by Taskin Ahmed (2-55) and Ebadot Hossain (2-39). Ponting said Australia’s innings had been pockmarked by too many repeat mistakes.“I think that was pretty difficult conditions, the batting,” Ponting said. “I think we were all surprised that Australia chose to bat this morning. Looking at the surface, there was some grass on it. It was nice and hard. So I think we all expected some seam movement and it to be hard work for the batters.“But what I’ve seen so far today is just the same mistakes being made again, particularly by some of our top-order players. [There was] almost sometimes an over-intent to try and score the balls that aren’t quite there, hence Weatherald’s dismissal.“And you look at Marnus and there’s a lack of intent to try and score, which builds pressure on him and keeps the bowlers in the game, and then he gets out the same way that we’ve seen a lot over the last couple of years.”Mitchell Starc’s first ball swung threateningly past the outside edge, but what followed was often too short and not threatening the stumps. This was compounded when Nathan Lyon looked hesitant going for a high, swirling chance from backward point and failed even to get a finger on it.By the close of play, Cummins and company were only 102 runs in credit with one wicket to their names: it is already a long way back.Walking out to bat under overcast, muggy skies, Weatherald and Head got to 45 without looking secure. Weatherald’s ambitious edged drive at a ball seaming away from him opened things up, and a steady decline followed.Head dragged one on from round the wicket, Labuschagne fenced indecisively at a ball on sixth stump, and in the last over before lunch Green hooked an impulsive six before needlessly flicking a straighter ball to mid-wicket.Smith and Carey were little troubled in adding 55, but mid-afternoon drinks broke the wicketkeeper’s cocoon of concentration, and when Webster was also bowled, a suboptimal total became more or less inevitable.Australia may have harboured notions of blowing Bangladesh away with the ball, but Tanzid Hasan and Mominul Haque stood fast. This game, and this year, are not going to be easy for Cummins’ creaking terminators.News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.From our partners