14 Years After His First Australia Trip, Taskin Ahmed Finally Gets His Test Shot

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-08-11

Some cricket stories take decades to come full circle. For Taskin Ahmed, that moment is finally here. The Bangladesh pace bowler is set to open the bowling against Australia in a Test match at Darwin, a full 14 years after he first set foot on Australian soil as a teenager. Back in 2012, during the Under-19 World Cup, Taskin dismissed Travis Head. Now, he'll be running in to bowl at the same batter in the longest format of the game. It's a fixture Bangladesh have been waiting 23 years to play, and for Taskin, it's the culmination of a journey that started when he was just a kid watching from home. ### A Long Wait to Bowl on Australian Soil Taskin's history with Australia is deeper than most people realize. He's been to the country multiple times over the years, including the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, the 2015 ODI World Cup, and the 2022 T20 World Cup. Yet, despite all those trips, he's never played an international match against Australia on their home turf. His only previous encounter with them came in a T20I in Mirpur 12 years ago. Since then, Australia haven't toured Bangladesh for a Test series, and Bangladesh haven't managed a full tour Down Under. Until now. As an eight-year-old, Taskin watched from his living room when Australia played their only previous Test series in Bangladesh back in 2003. He grew up idolizing Australian fast bowlers, and he openly admits he's studied the current crop for years. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Scott Boland are names he's watched closely, and he's hoping to pick their brains during this tour. ### Confidence From a Recent Home Win Bangladesh aren't walking into this series blind. Earlier this year, they beat Australia 2-1 in an ODI series in Mirpur. The pitches offered more pace and bounce than usual, which helped their bowlers. However, there's a catch. Australia's frontline pace attack—Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, and Head—didn't feature in that series. All four were managing their workload ahead of this Test tour. So while the win was a morale booster, it doesn't tell the full story. Taskin led the bowling attack in that series alongside Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shoriful Islam. But none of that trio is fully available for the Darwin Test. Shoriful is the only one with a chance of playing later in the tour, at Mackay. ### A Tour Match Setback Bangladesh's preparation hit a speed bump over the weekend. In a tour match against a Cricket Australia XI, they were bowled out for just 54 runs. Campbell Thompson, a 22-year-old uncapped seamer, took eight wickets for 25 runs and single-handedly dismantled their batting lineup. Teague Wyllie also chipped in with a solid 130 against an attack led by Taskin. The result was an innings defeat, which isn't the kind of confidence boost you want before a Test series. Taskin didn't sugarcoat it. He admitted the defeat was disappointing, but he also pointed out that the team is still adjusting to Australian conditions. The pitches are different, the bounce is different, and it takes time to settle in. Travis Head, on the other hand, wasn't too concerned. He downplayed the result, noting that tour matches often carry less significance for players already focused on the opening Test. In his view, several Bangladesh players were likely already thinking about Thursday's start rather than the tour fixture itself. ### What to Expect From the Darwin Test This Test match is a big deal for Bangladesh. They've waited 23 years to play Australia on home soil, and they're not here just to make up the numbers. Taskin's confidence is clear, even if he acknowledges the challenge ahead. Australia are one of the strongest teams in world cricket, and they'll be tough to beat. But Bangladesh have shown they can compete, and with Taskin leading the attack, they'll believe they have a chance. Here are a few key things to watch for in this series: - Taskin's ability to swing the ball in Australian conditions - How Bangladesh's young batters handle Starc and Hazlewood's pace - Whether the tour match defeat shakes their confidence or fuels their determination It's going to be a fascinating series, and for Taskin Ahmed, it's the moment he's been waiting for since he was a teenager. Fourteen years is a long time to wait, but sometimes the best things in cricket are worth the patience.