From Eden Gardens talk to Darwin triumph

Bangladesh's nine-wicket win over Australia was built on a fast-bowling cartel that began to take shape after former captain Mominul Haque pushed systemic changes in domestic cricket.

The catalyst, according to reports, was Virat Kohli's post-match press conference after the 2019 pink-ball Test in Kolkata. Kohli stressed "total commitment" to Test cricket and the importance of matching that demand with improved contracts.

"You can't tell the players you have to be committed to playing Test cricket but contractually we won't do anything for you. Because we're professional players, we earn a living as well," Kohli said then.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board introduced contracts for Test cricketers and, under Mominul's influence alongside then selector Habibul Bashar, charted changes to the National Cricket League. Curators were asked to leave longer grass cover and Bangladesh moved to Duke balls.

BCB president Tamim Iqbal recalled Mominul's insistence on fast-bowling development: "I think a lot of credit should go to then captain Mominul Haque. I still remember in first-class games he used to make sure that the fast bowlers bowled the maximum overs. I remember one first-class game because he and I used to play for the same team, and I went to him and said we could easily bowl spinners. He said, 'No, if I do not make these fast bowlers bowl now, how are they going to learn? Regardless of whether they are doing well or not, we need fast bowlers in the national team and they need to bowl as much as possible.'"

Taking a leaf from Kohli's India, which relied on Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mominul instructed all eight first-class teams to play with three pacers in every match.

The policy bore fruit in Darwin. Hasan Mahmud delivered a masterclass on day one with 6-55, followed by 3-56 and player-of-the-match honours. He was backed by Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and a pace group that now includes Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and 150kph prospect Nahid Rana.

"When the fast bowlers started getting success, domestic players and young kids started believing that even in Bangladesh you can become a fast bowler, get success and become a superstar," Tamim said. The revolution, it is argued, started in Eden Gardens and finished with Mehidy Hasan Miraz running through Australia's lower order in Darwin.