As an international cricketer from Bangladesh, Tanzid Hasan Tamim is no stranger to crowd reactions.
Used to the ever-mercurial reactions from the galleries of Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, where the fans go from raucous hooting to a chorus of ‘bhua’ in jarring speed, nothing much should affect the opener.
But on the second day of the ongoing first Test against Australia, Tanzid was taken aback by a modest crowd of a few thousand at the Marrara Stadium in Darwin.
Minutes after completing his maiden Test century, Tanzid was out caught and was making the long way back to the pavilion.
He walked with slumped shoulders, carrying regrets of failing to stretch his innings further, when his trance broke all of a sudden by a certain noise.
It was the sound of thousands of hands clapping.
He looked around and saw Australian fans on their feet, applauding his innings as he walked back.
The image left a lasting impression, as after the day’s play, he told the media, “The standing ovation [for an overseas batter] is maybe the beauty of playing Test cricket in Australia.”
Tanzid is not the only Bangladeshi player receiving applause in Down Under at the moment.
The entire Australian cricket fraternity has sat up and taken notice these past three days, looking on in disbelief as an unfancied Bangladeshi side has outplayed the heavyweight hosts across three days in their own backyard.
Three days into the match, Bangladesh are in the driving seat, having the hosts down to 161-4 in the second innings, still trailing by 67 runs.
Former cricketers, the media and fans in Australia have blasted their players, calling for some exclusions, and have generously praised Bangladesh’s efforts, acknowledging that the tourists are in a winning position.
Many adjectives have been used to praise the brilliant performances of the touring side.
But amid the praising words, one not-so-pleasant phrase has also quietly been slipped in.
“‘One of their finest days’: Minnows dominate as Aussies stunned in ‘ugly’ batting collapse”
This was the title of a report published on Fox Sports after the opening day’s play, casually attaching the word ‘minnow’ to Bangladesh.
They weren’t alone, several Australian media have also used this word in their reports, including The Sydney Morning Herald, which wrote, “Many thought Australia would dominate cricket minnow Bangladesh, but instead the tourists are well and truly on top,” in a report on Thursday.
The word ‘minnow’ was not used in a derogatory way in either report, but simply as a word to signify who Bangladesh are as a cricket nation in the eyes of Australia.
The last time Bangladesh toured Australia for a Test series was in 2003, when the country was barely three years into their journey in the five-day format.
Up against Steve Waugh’s Australia, it was a true David versus Goliath battle, one that Goliath won without breaking a sweat.
Even then, Australian media freely used the word ‘minnows’ to describe Bangladesh.
The Sydney Morning Herald published a report titled “Minnows from Asia ready to Rokon roll” – a clever play on words using the name of Bangladesh opener Al-Shahriar Rokon while using Bangladesh as synonymous with the word minnow.
Twenty-three years have passed since then; but in the eyes of Australian media, Bangladesh remains the same cricketing ‘minnow’.
Australia remain a much superior team to Bangladesh in every format, but the gulf is not as great as it was in 2003.
Bangladesh first beat Australia in an ODI in 2005, in one of the greatest upsets in 50-overs cricket ever, a victory that was celebrated on the streets of Dhaka.
Two months ago, Bangladesh completed a 2-1 ODI series win over the Aussies – their first against the opponents – a triumph that saw very little fanfare as the country was focused more on the FIFA World Cup.
In between the miracle in Cardiff and the series win in Mirpur, Bangladesh have also won four T20Is, and a Test at home over the Aussies – not notable success, but success nonetheless.
The Tigers made it to the quarterfinals of the 2015 ODI World Cup, held jointly in New Zealand and Australia, played the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 in England, finishing above Australia in the group-stage, effectively taking their place in the knockouts.
But clearly, the wins and knockout berths in ICC events did little to change Bangladesh cricket’s perception in Australia.
Because in Australia, there is only one way a visiting team can earn the people’s respect, and that’s by challenging the Australian Test team in Australia.
For 23 years, Bangladesh were effectively deemed unworthy of even playing a Test on Australian soil. The ongoing two-match series wouldn’t have happened had it not been part of the ICC World Test Championship.
Even then, the series is taking place in Darwin and Cairns, not in their Test coliseums – the MCG, SCG, or Adelaide Oval – and that too in late winter, not during the traditional Australian cricketing summer.
Bangladesh had to wait 23 years for the chance of earning Australia’s respect, and Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Co have so far grabbed that opportunity with both hands.
They were aided by the Marrara Oval, whose condition is almost equally unknown to both sides, and by the Australia skipper Pat Cummins.
The coin had landed in Australia’s favour at the toss, but Cummins chose to put his batters on a greenish wicket against Hasan Mahmud and Co. a choice that proved costly.
Australia have been chasing the games since Day 1 and will start on the back foot as the fourth day begins.
Bangladesh bowlers have patiently maintained their lines and lengths and have been rewarded for their diligence; the batters have played within their limits, shown great technique and forced Australia to field under the sun for five sessions.
The first three days of the Darwin Test have been three of the best days of cricket in Bangladesh’s Test history.
It has earned plaudits of one and all, but was not enough to shed the ‘minnow’ tag.
Just pushing Australia to their limit is not good enough, they need to go one step further and beat the Aussies.
And for that, they need one more dream day on Sunday.