Khairul Alam ; Dhaka – Bangladesh has only managed to defeat Australia once in Test history—a memorable victory at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur back on August 30, 2017.
However, opening batsman Mahmudul Hasan Joy is dreaming much bigger. He believes the Tigers are capable of not just winning a single match, but clinching an entire Test series against the mighty Aussies right on Australian soil.
Bangladesh last played a Test match in Australia way back in 2003. Ending a long 23-year wait, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side is scheduled to tour Down Under this coming August for a two-match Test series, with games set to be played in Darwin and Mackay.
Bangladesh’s confidence is currently sky-high in the longest format of the game, coming fresh off a historic 2-0 clean sweep against Pakistan in an away series. The team intends to channel that momentum as their primary strength ahead of the challenging Australia tour.
Sharing the team’s lofty ambitions at a press conference, Joy expressed the squad’s excitement:
“It is everyone’s dream to play in Australia. If we can win even a single Test match there, it will go down as a historic achievement for us.”
Joy emphasized that getting sporting pitches in Australia will be crucial for the team’s success: “If you look at our last 4–5 home series, we played on very good sporting wickets.
There was good bounce, plenty of runs on offer, and the bowlers also found success. This is a very positive sign for us. If we get similar conditions in Australia, it will play right into our hands.”
The young opener firmly believes that Bangladesh now possesses the firepower to challenge the world’s most formidable teams.
“At the level we are playing right now, we are capable of competing fiercely with any side. If our batsmen can put a solid total on the scoreboard, our quality bowling attack has the ability to make life difficult for any opponent,” Joy added confidently.