Bangladesh's historic feat Down Under: Tests taken by every team before winning in Australia listed originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Bangladesh needed just three Test matches on Australian soil to record their first-ever win.
- India took 12 attempts across three decades, while Sri Lanka remain winless after 15 Tests spread over four decades.
- New Zealand and Pakistan both broke through in their seventh Test, powered by legendary performances from Hadlee and Imran Khan.
How many Tests did each team take before winning in Australia?
Beating Australia on its own turf has always separated the good touring sides from the truly great ones, and Bangladesh just joined a very short list of teams that cracked that code fast.
Their nine-wicket win in Darwin came in just their third Test on Australian soil, following a 23-year absence from the country. By bowling Australia out cheaply, then piling on a commanding first-innings total, and closing out the chase without any nerves, Bangladesh made a historic achievement look almost routine.
Winning in Australia has long been considered cricket's toughest away assignment, and for good reason. Between the extra bounce, the searing heat, and a home crowd that's rarely forgiving, plenty of star-studded touring parties have gone home empty-handed after multiple attempts.
To really grasp what Bangladesh just pulled off, the Cricket News takes a look at just how long every other Test-playing nation took to finally break through Down Under.
MORE: The greatest upsets in Test cricket listed: From New Zealand in India to Bangladesh in Australia
Bangladesh smash the Asian benchmark in Darwin
Asian sides, in particular, have historically found Australia to be a house of horrors. India needed a staggering 12 attempts, stretched across three decades, before finally tasting victory.
Pakistan got there in seven. Sri Lanka, despite fielding some world-class talent over the years, have played 15 Tests in Australia across four decades and still haven't managed a single win.
Bangladesh flipped that script entirely in just four days at Marrara Oval. Hasan Mahmud set the tone early with an impressive first-innings bowling display, before Tanzid Hasan's brilliant century put Australia 228 runs behind.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz then sealed the win with the ball, making Bangladesh the fastest Asian team in history to claim a Test victory in Australia, doing it in just their third attempt.
The 1977-78 period turned out to be a landmark stretch. Pakistan got there first, during their January 1977 tour of Sydney. Imran Khan was simply unplayable in his seventh Test on Australian soil, picking up 12 wickets across the match to fire Pakistan to an eight-wicket win.
India's journey was far longer and considerably more painful. Since their first tour under Lala Amarnath back in 1947, they'd lost 10 of their previous 11 matches in the country. The long-awaited breakthrough finally came at Melbourne's New Year's Test in 1977 in their 12th attempt.
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar spun a web of leg-spin magic, taking 12 wickets across the match, while Sunil Gavaskar's superb fourth-innings century sealed a memorable 222-run victory.
England and South Africa were the early pace-setters
Unsurprisingly, cricket's oldest rivalry produced the quickest-ever breakthrough. England lost the very first Test ever played, in Melbourne back in 1877, but hit straight back in the following match at the same ground to level things up, meaning it took them only two attempts to register a win.
South Africa came next, during the 1910-11 tour. After being thrashed in their opening two matches, the Proteas finally found their rhythm in Adelaide during Test number three. Dave Nourse and Aubrey Faulkner led the way to a tight 38-run win, which set a benchmark that stood for over a century, until Bangladesh matched it with their own three-Test breakthrough.
MORE: Has Bangladesh ever won a Test series against Australia?
New Zealand spent years struggling to make any real impression against their trans-Tasman rivals, managing just a single draw and five defeats across their first six attempts.
However, everything changed in November 1985 at the Gabba. Richard Hadlee produced what's still regarded as one of the greatest all-round bowling performances ever seen, taking 9 for 52 in the first innings alone and 15 wickets across the match.
With Martin Crowe's classy 188 backing him up, New Zealand crushed Australia by an innings and 41 runs in their seventh Test attempt, which acted as the springboard for their only-ever Test series win on Australian soil.
MORE: Bangladesh script history in Darwin: Register first-ever Test win in Australia
How every nation's wait compares to Bangladesh after their victory over Australia in Darwin
| Team | Match of first win | Venue & year | Record before winning |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2nd Test | Melbourne (1877) | 1 loss before win |
| South Africa | 3rd Test | Adelaide (1911) | 2 losses before win |
| Bangladesh | 3rd Test | Darwin (2026) | 2 losses before win |
| West Indies | 5th Test | Sydney (1931) | 4 losses before win |
| Pakistan | 7th Test | Sydney (1977) | 4 losses, 2 draws |
| New Zealand | 7th Test | Brisbane (1985) | 5 losses, 1 draw |
| India | 12th Test | Melbourne (1977) | 10 losses, 1 draw |
| Sri Lanka | Yet to win | 0 wins in 15 Tests | 13 losses, 2 draws |
| Zimbabwe | Yet to win | 0 wins in 2 Tests | 2 losses |
| Afghanistan / Ireland | N/A | Have not played in Australia | 0 Tests played |
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