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‘Not functioning’: Cummins tips Australia batting review after Bangladesh shock

· Reuters Agency · 2026-08-16T11:07:02+00:00 · nguồn gốc

By Ian Ransom Australia captain Pat Cummins has backed his team to rebound from a stunning nine-wicket loss to Bangladesh in the series-opener in Darwin but concedes changes may be needed to fix the team’s troubled batting. The world’s top-ranked Test nation were bowled out for 198 in the first innings on a tepid pitch at Marrara Oval in Darwin, with only their 37-year-old master Steve Smith able to produce a decent score (71). All-rounder Cameron Green struck a defiant 104 in Australia’s second innings of 284 to ease pressure on his place in the team but there were few other contributors to set Bangladesh a proper chase for victory. Cummins said Australia had no excuses for their performance in the first home Test loss to the ninth-ranked South Asian nation, rating his team’s preparations as excellent. Dominant. Commanding. Controlling. These are all words to describe a proud moment in Bangladesh history, because they have THUMPED Australia in Australia to win a Test by nine wickets! pic.twitter.com/MGUXtIySP9 “I thought the day one wicket [had] a little bit [in it] early but obviously we’ve got to try and find a way to bat a little bit longer than we did, and then [we] just couldn’t penetrate with the ball,” he said. “I think every time there’s a game like this, you always kind of look at your match-ups and your make-up with the team for the next one. “But we only just finished, we’ll have a think about it. We’re pretty good at bouncing back, so no doubt the batters and every group will get together and have a good think about this one and where we can improve.” The second and final Test is in Mackay, Queensland, from August 22. Selectors stuck with the struggling duo of opener Jake Weatherald and number three Marnus Labuschagne but their continued poor form may be harder to ignore in the wake of Darwin. Weatherald spent the winter working on his technique after an underwhelming debut test series in the Ashes but he never looked comfortable at the crease in front of his hometown crowd, dismissed for 23 and 0. 🗣️ “They’ve come here, and they’ve taught Australia a lesson.” A famous nine-wicket victory over Australia as Bangladesh produce a Test triumph for the ages 🇧🇩#AUSvBAN pic.twitter.com/d9vfCtOUMj Labuschagne made one run from 20 balls in the first innings and was bowled for 31 in the second with a clumsy heave at the left-arm spin of all-rounder Taijul Islam. “It’s pretty clear it’s not quite functioning as well as we’d like as a group, so I’m sure the batters will get together and talk,” Cummins said. “Review some footage, review methods, their approaches to how they were this week. If we need to make some changes to our style, we’ve got a week or so and we better do it pretty quickly.” Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the nation’s belated focus on pace is yielding rewards after the South Asian underdogs. Bangladesh recorded their first Test win in Australia and one of their finest victories ever in the longest format despite missing leading quicks Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam to injury. Shanto said there had been a mindset shift among the nation’s young fast bowlers. “Earlier, five years ago, pacers didn’t want to play Tests,” Shanto said pitch-side. “But we’ve been playing lots of Test cricket and they are giving importance to Test format. We got some team plans with the coaches, watching videos, and that’s what we did at the ground,” he said of plans for each Australian batter. — Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud “They want to play, want to perform, want to be world-class. That is the mindset they now have. “Seniors like Mushfiqur [Rahim] and Mominul [Haque] have encouraged them to play more Test cricket.” Bangladesh’s 26-year-old fast bowler Hasan Mahmud earned the Player of the Match award after taking nine wickets, including 6-55 in the first innings on a docile pitch. Mahmud said Bangladesh believed in themselves, despite a shaky buildup that included being bowled out for 54 in a practice match just over a week ago against a Cricket Australia XI. “We got some team plans with the coaches, watching videos, and that’s what we did at the ground,” he said of plans for each Australian batter. “The bowlers were patient, they stuck on the line and length. Results came.” On their first Test tour of Australia in 23 years, Bangladesh will head to the second and final match in Mackay, Queensland, hoping to seal their first Test series win over the Australians.