It is time for freakishly gifted Harry Brook to come of age in England’s post-Bazball era | Ali Martin

Test captaincy came too soon for 27-year-old but Pakistan series is latest chapter in year that could be the making of him

You have to hand it to Bazball. Even when seemingly killed off, and the England team it left behind is thousands of miles away, preparing for a series against Pakistan, it has still managed to muscle its way into the fallout from Bangladesh’s seismic victory over Australia in Darwin. Talk about main character energy.

By definition, that nine-wicket victory for Bangladesh was no fluke. Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men didn’t jag a tight one but rather dominated their hosts over four days. And in doing so, they also managed to unite Ashes rivals by demonstrating what a golden opportunity England blew against Australia’s greybeards last winter.

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How Australia found themselves on the wrong side of cricket’s most profound upset | Geoff Lemon

Despite overwhelming odds against them, Bangladesh still found a way to win – but their success wasn’t down to any Australian complacency

Sport coverage is powered by hyperbole and recency bias, but the following statement is justifiable: Bangladesh’s defeat of Australia in Darwin is the most profound upset, the greatest revolt against the pre-game odds, in international cricket history. Australia’s win in England in 1882 so shocked locals that they published a cremation-themed obituary, but the same result had already happened four times on the other side of the world. Zimbabwe stunned India in 1998, but that was at least in the underdogs’ home conditions.

India’s bench-depth win at the Gabba in 2021 has a claim, or the new nation of Pakistan winning either in India in 1952 or England in 1954. But in truth, Sunday’s result is now the title holder, not just because of the disparity between the resources and histories of the two teams, not just because of the location, but because of the manufactured rarity of this match-up even taking place. Since Bangladesh’s admission to Test ranks in 2000, Cricket Australia have treated a cricket populace of well over 100 million people with the most blatant condescension.

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Australia humiliated as Bangladesh make history with crushing Test victory

  • Bangladesh win Test match on Australian soil for first time

  • Cameron Green century not enough to stave off nine-wicket defeat

Bangladesh have handed Australia one of their most humiliating and crushing Test defeats in 149 years, despite a career-saving century by Cameron Green.

The visitors bowled Australia out for 284 in their second innings in Darwin and polished off the 57 runs required for victory for the loss of one wicket to secure their first Test win on Australian soil.

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