Hasan Mahmud bowled a match-winning spell in Darwin. Image Credits: AFP
Hasan Mahmud is not the fanciest bowler in an otherwise exciting Bangladesh pace attack. He does not have Nahid Rana’s pace, Ebadot Hossain’s hit-the-deck ability, or Taskin Ahmed’s experience and deception. What he does have is control, and he keeps coming back to it, relentlessly.
In Darwin, that was more than enough to topple Australia in their own backyard. Mahmud didn’t do anything flashy; he simply stuck to his plans and kept bowling in the right areas. The results followed, again and again.
How Hasan Mahmud dismantled Australia in Darwin
Hasan Mahmud bowled tight lines to LHBs
The pitch in Darwin offered some assistance to the fast bowlers throughout the game, with the ball generating seam movement and extra bounce at times. Against the two left-handed openers, Hasan Mahmud simply kept hitting the channel, trusting the sideways movement to take the ball away from the bat early on. The first breakthrough took some time, but his patience eventually paid off.
It came through a wobble-seam delivery that moved away off the pitch as Jake Weatherald looked to drive on the up, only to edge it straight to the wicketkeeper. The wobble seam has become an increasingly effective weapon for Mahmud in recent years, helping him dismiss several quality batters. The signs of that development were already evident when Bangladesh toured India for two Tests in 2024.
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Mahmud repeatedly used the wobble seam to trouble the Indian batters in Chennai, picking up three wickets inside the first hour. One of those was the prized wicket of Rohit Sharma, who edged an away-moving wobble-seam delivery. His recent stint in County Cricket has further helped him refine the skill, particularly his control over when and how he uses the wobble seam. He now seems more capable of varying its usage and landing it precisely where he wants.
A big part of what makes the delivery effective comes from his release. Mahmud’s sharp wrist snap acts like a whip at the point of release, driving the ball hard into the pitch to extract extra zip and bounce. His slightly tilted wrist angle also gives the ball uneven rotation, making its movement off the surface harder to predict.
That combination can make even back-of-a-length deliveries difficult to leave or defend. Both Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc were undone by late movement in the first innings, poking at deliveries outside off stump and edging behind.
The bowling smarts
Hasan Mahmud altered his lengths more often vs RHBs
It is not easy to outsmart Steve Smith, who remains one step ahead of the bowler almost every time. But Hasan Mahmud managed to do exactly that. Smith perhaps didn’t expect Mahmud to go for a full-fledged short ball after bowling fuller lengths earlier in the over.
Mahmud, however, noticed Smith charging down the track before he released the ball and immediately shortened his length while moving the line away from the batter. Smith still went through with the shot, but the extra bounce meant he could only top-edge it into the wicketkeeper’s hands. In his next over, Mahmud dismissed Nathan Lyon with another short ball to wrap up the innings.
Another example of Mahmud’s bowling smarts came earlier in the innings. After bowling three deliveries from over the wicket to Travis Head, he smartly changed his angle and went around the wicket, bringing the off stump more into play. He continued to target the channel and got one to nip back straight away, prompting Head to attempt a tentative cut close to his body. The ball took the inside edge and crashed into the stumps.
Head has always had his share of problems against deliveries in the corridor, and Mahmud did well to bring the line as close to his body as possible from around the wicket. He returned to a similar plan in the second innings and removed Head with a near-identical dismissal. Against Cameron Green, meanwhile, Mahmud shifted his line slightly wider of off stump and frequently used the depth of the crease to create an inward angle from a slightly shorter length.
Bangladesh need more of Hasan Mahmud
Following the Australia tour, Bangladesh have several crucial Tests coming up, both at home and away. They will host the West Indies and England before travelling to South Africa for the remainder of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
Bangladesh will need to manage Nahid Rana’s workload during this stretch, and Hasan Mahmud could be asked to shoulder more responsibility. They have Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain as other pace options, but Mahmud remains one of their better bets. In South Africa, where fast bowlers can extract substantial seam movement, his skill set could be particularly effective.
Mahmud has always been more of a seam bowler, and his ability to move the ball late while hurrying batters from his natural lengths could make him a valuable asset in those conditions. If Bangladesh are to replicate what they have just achieved in Australia, they will need bowlers capable of making an impact away from home, and Mahmud has already shown that he can do so.
In 16 Test innings away from home, Mahmud has taken 33 wickets at 25.36 apiece. All three of his five-wicket hauls have also come overseas, one each in India, Pakistan and Australia. He clearly knows how to find wickets away from home and has consistently stepped up when Bangladesh have needed him.
Even at home, Bangladesh can no longer rely solely on spinners or prepare heavily spin-friendly pitches. Pacers have actually outperformed spinners in Bangladesh this year, taking 49 wickets at 29.51 compared to 30 at 31.
Hasan Mahmud, therefore, could be crucial if Bangladesh are to continue taking giant strides forward after this historic win over Australia. Home or away, Bangladesh will need him to keep bringing the same control and subtle variations, even if he is not the fanciest bowler in their attack.
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