I thought Bangladesh’s victory over Australia was astonishing. I did not expect it, and I am  not sure that many people who follow the game that closely expected it either. When I look  at why Bangladesh were able to pull off such a result, I keep coming back to one word:  discipline. 

Discipline with the bat and discipline with the ball. 

The pillars and foundations of Test match cricket do not change much. They may shift  slightly depending on the conditions and the situation, but over five days, the basic  principles remain largely the same. Bangladesh followed those principles exceptionally  well, and that was a major reason why they were able to beat Australia. 

I thought they perhaps had a slight advantage in bowling first. They had been bundled out  for 54 in the practice game, so there was probably some negativity surrounding the group  from the outside, even if that negativity may not have existed within the team itself. But  instead of beginning the Test with bats in their hands against Australia, they were able to  walk out as a collective group and start the game with the ball. 

That may have helped them. 

The confidence and self-belief Bangladesh showed throughout the match were very  noticeable. They gradually became the front-runners, particularly after Hasan Mahmud  bowled so well at the start of the game. Once that happened, Bangladesh were really  ahead of the match. 

But the mentality of Test match cricket then comes to the fore. You can have a good  session, or even two or three good sessions, but you have to keep producing those good  sessions and keep the opposition down. You cannot afford to allow a poor session to drag  you back into a contest. That is where Bangladesh were so impressive. 

For me, there were two moments that really stood out. The first was the way they batted at  the start of their first innings after bowling Australia out. That was a key moment in the  game. 

Had Bangladesh lost an early wicket or two and found themselves at 30 for three, Australia  would have been buoyant. Some of Australia’s own batting problems would probably have  been forgotten very quickly, and suddenly they would have been right back in the contest.

Instead, Bangladesh were stoic, resilient and resourceful. 

The way the openers batted was particularly important. I had been concerned about  Bangladesh’s top order, but they got exactly the kind of start they needed. They did not  allow Australia to build momentum immediately after being bowled out. 

That start to the first innings was crucial because it shaped how Bangladesh were able to  play the remainder of the game. 

The other important aspect was the way Bangladesh kept their heads above water. They  did not allow a poor session to drag them down. They did not allow themselves to be pulled  back into the match by Australia. They kept pushing, and once again, discipline was at the  heart of it. 

The bowling performances were another major factor. Hasan Mahmud took nine wickets in  the match, and 10 wickets to seam bowling in the first innings. And it is important to  remember that Nahid Rana was not available. I think Rana has outstanding potential. I  believe he can become a really top-class international bowler, let alone a top-class Test  match bowler. 

So, with him unavailable, the way Taskin bowled was particularly impressive. 

Then, in the second innings, Bangladesh could turn to their spinner. As I had said  previously, Mehidy Hasan is a top-class performer. He contributed with the bat, but he also  outbowled Nathan Lyon in the Test match. 

That tells you something about the depth Bangladesh have. 

I never questioned whether Bangladesh had depth. I had said that before as well. The  question was always about where they had quality at the top. Against Australia, they  showed that they had it. 

Najmul Hossain Shanto also deserves considerable credit as captain. He made some  excellent decisions and remained very calm throughout the match. Bangladesh have now  won three of their last four Test matches, and this is a side that deserves the success it has  achieved. 

There is now a genuine fascination around Bangladesh in the Test match world because  very few people predicted this. Eleven players have emerged as heroes from this  performance. Shanto himself described it as their biggest achievement across all formats,  and it is difficult to argue with the significance of what they have done.

I was particularly impressed by Tanzid Hasan Tamim and the way he batted. 

I had already been impressed by him to an extent in white-ball cricket. He is an aggressive  player, but what stood out to me here was his ability to adjust his game to the situation. He  did not simply play like a white-ball batter. 

He left the ball well. He played the ball on the bounce a little bit. He made the adjustments  that are necessary when you are a foreign side coming into Australian conditions. 

That again comes back to discipline. 

There are so many challenges when you play Test cricket in Australia, particularly as a  visiting side. But the basic disciplines remain the same. The same applies to bowling. The  line and length do not suddenly become irrelevant because you are playing against  Australia’s top order. 

In fact, Bangladesh’s disciplined line-and-length bowling created real problems for very  good Australian top-order players in their own conditions. 

Perhaps there is a bigger lesson there for everybody. 

Test match cricket has its fundamentals, and those fundamentals remain. Bangladesh  understood that and executed them extremely well. So, huge credit to Bangladesh. 

A side that had been bundled out for 54 in the practice game and appeared to have very  little chance went on to win the first Test against Australia. In many ways, that is great for  the game. 

Where to Australia go from here? 

For Australia, the question now is where they go from here. 

I am still not convinced about Travis Head as an opening batter. I never have been, and I  am not saying that simply because he did not make a big impact in this game. I think  Australia have to start looking at that position. 

If it is Jake Weatherald, I would expect him to get one more game. If he does not play well in  that match, potentially across two innings, then I think he could become vulnerable. A  player such as Matt Renshaw, Marcus Harris or Sam Konstas could potentially come into  consideration.

I do not think that change will happen immediately, though. I expect Australia to play the  next Test without making too many changes. 

The really big issue for me is Marnus Labuschagne. 

Australia have a huge amount of Test cricket coming up, and at the moment their batting  line-up is heavily reliant on Steve Smith. It is also heavily reliant on Travis Head.  Labuschagne, meanwhile, has simply not contributed for quite some time. 

Australia therefore have to make a conscious decision about him. 

Do they believe he is going to come good over a period of the next year? If they believe that,  then they can continue with him. But if they do not, then at some point they have to make  the change. 

I would not make that change immediately after this Bangladesh Test. I would give  Labuschagne one more Test match. 

For me, Labuschagne and Weatherald are the two players Australia have to make  decisions on. 

I also continue to see Josh Inglis as someone who can come into the side and potentially  fill the role at No. 3. I do not see why he cannot be a Test match No. 3. Alternatively, he  could get into the side at No. 4 or No. 5 somehow. 

I think he is a quality player and one of Australia’s next players to come into the team. 

One obvious positive for Australia is Cameron Green. That is a massive tick for them  because he is such a key player. For him to score 100, even in a losing cause, can still  provide a massive lift to the side as they move forward. 

I expect Australia to perform a whole lot better in the next Test match. 

I do not expect many changes to the bowling line-up unless there are injuries or niggles.  The bowling group has gone through a difficult experience, but they should be better for  that workout. 

At the same time, I do not think there is any reason yet for calls for new selectors, new  management or a new captain. This is one Test match, and Bangladesh deserve a huge  amount of credit for what they have done.

Australia’s management and players have a lot of credit in the bank. I do not expect a huge  amount of change before the next Test. 

But there does need to be a lot of thought about how Australia move forward, particularly  with such a heavy workload of Test cricket ahead of them. 

Ultimately, though, this should be about Bangladesh. 

The discipline with the bat and ball, the resilience after good and bad sessions, the bowling  depth, the contributions from the top order and the calm captaincy all came together. 

A team that had been bowled out for 54 in a practice game went on to beat Australia in  their own conditions. 

What an amazing day for Bangladesh cricket.