Bangladesh’s pace attack made a strong impact on the opening day of the first Test against hosts Australia, with pacer Hasan Mahmud claiming six wickets to bowl the home side out for 198 in their first innings.

Hasan finished with six wickets, registering his third five-wicket haul in Test cricket. His outstanding spell led Bangladesh’s pace unit from the front as they kept Australia under constant pressure throughout the day.

Besides Hasan, Ebadot Hossain and Taskin Ahmed picked up two wickets each. Steven Smith was the standout batter for Australia, scoring a fighting 71 amid Bangladesh’s relentless bowling attack.

Despite losing the toss and being asked to field, Bangladesh maintained pressure on Australia throughout the innings. Their disciplined bowling produced four wickets in the first session, followed by another four in the second session.

Hasan, who had already taken four wickets by the end of the second session, completed his six-wicket haul by claiming the remaining two wickets in the third session. Australia were eventually bowled out in just 53 overs, falling short of the 200-run mark.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto relied heavily on his pace attack, with spinners bowling only nine of the 53 overs delivered against the Australian batters. Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowled four overs and Taijul Islam five, but neither spinner managed to take a wicket.

While Bangladesh’s bowlers dominated for most of the innings, Smith was the only Australian batter to produce a substantial score. He made 71 runs and offered the most resistance to the visitors.

Among the other Australian batters, Travis Head scored 22, Jake Weatherald made 23, Cameron Green contributed 13, Alex Carey scored 19 and Beau Webster made 12. All the remaining Australian batters were dismissed for single-digit scores.

Bangladesh’s pace attack will now look to build on their strong start as they prepare to begin their first innings.