From Darwin delight to Mackay despair: Bangladesh's reality check

Bangladesh experienced both extremes on their tour of Australia, following a fairytale win in Darwin with an embarrassing defeat in Mackay.

Touring Australia after 23 years, the key question was their ability to sustain pressure over five days. They stunned the cricketing world with their maiden Test win in Australia in Darwin, a nine-wicket victory that skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto dubbed their biggest achievement in history. But they were soon brought crashing down in Mackay, losing by an innings and 51 runs.

In Darwin, Bangladesh became the quickest Asian team to win a Test in Australia, while in Mackay they became the first team in 21 years to be dismissed for under 100 in both innings of a Test, making 64 and 95. The Darwin win also lifted them to No. 6 in the ICC Test rankings, their highest ever.

While winning Test matches in New Zealand and Australia in the last five years is a significant step forward, their meek surrender in the second Test of both series has raised questions over their ability to handle emotions after historic feats, as well as their consistency in SENA nations.

Tackling pace and bounce with the bat also came under scrutiny, with batters guilty of repeatedly playing at balls that could have been left alone on a spicy wicket in Mackay. Conditions in Darwin, by contrast, were closer to home.

"Emotion is always there, but as a professional player we need to be very much clear about this Test match," Shanto told reporters after the defeat.

"I believe the players were quite happy with their preparation and the mindset. We just didn't play at our best. We could have batted better in the second innings. I think Australia also struggled when they batted in their first innings."

"We have to admit that it was a tough wicket, but we also played some bad shots. I don't want to point fingers at anyone in particular but we played poorly as a team," he added.

Shanto, however, reckoned the Darwin win was one to be proud of and would boost the team's confidence ahead of the tour of South Africa in November.

"I don't think anyone will forget what we have done in Darwin but it is also true that we didn't play good cricket in this Test," Shanto said.

"When you look at how Australia played in Mackay, you realise exactly what type of team we defeated in Darwin. They decided to bowl first at home, which I have heard they don't often do. Australia's comeback showed how much we challenged them."

"I personally didn't feel too excited after winning in Darwin. I initially treated this as just another Test win. I think when I observed what happened in the last two days in Mackay, especially from the dugout or slip cordon, I had the realisation of what we have actually done. We won a good Test match in Darwin."

"It is a win to be proud of. We now have two wins of such magnitude. We have defeated New Zealand and Australia in their conditions. I hope we do it in South Africa, which will only help our Test team," he added.

Bangladesh showed signs of progress in Darwin, even as gaps were exposed in Mackay. Several performances stand out: Tanzid Hasan Tamim's maiden Test hundred, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam's exploits with the ball, Mehidy Hasan Miraz's all-round show, and Shanto's own excellence with the bat in the first Test. How they handle the pressure of expectations, however, could dictate their further progress in the longest format.