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Aim was to make things unusual for Australian batsmen: Sunil Joshi

Their spinners, led by experienced Shakib Al Hasan's 5/85 and his match-figures of 10/153 to add to his first innings top-score of 84, guided Mushfiqur Rahil-led Bangladesh to a 20-run win and go one-up in the series.

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Sunil Joshi
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It took Bangladesh 14 years to post their first Test win against Australia. That they have played only five Tests against the team from Down Under since the first encounter in 2003 is another matter.

The two did not play each other in white clothing for more than 11 years for various issues. And, when they did take on each other at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka, in the first of two Tests, the Bangladesh Tigers made it a memorable on Wednesday.

Their spinners, led by experienced Shakib Al Hasan's 5/85 and his match-figures of 10/153 to add to his first innings top-score of 84, guided Mushfiqur Rahil-led Bangladesh to a 20-run win and go one-up in the series.

Plotting Australia's downfall in this series are a head coach from Sri Lanka, Chandika Hathurusinghe, pace bowling coach, the legendary Courtney Walsh from the West Indies, fielding coach Richard Halsall from England and the latest addition of Sunil Joshi, the former India left-arm spinner, as their spin consultant for the current series.

Joshi may be feeling over the moon that his first coaching role with a Test team has ended in a memorable victory with all the wickets taken by bowlers – 19 – going to spinners, the run out of Usman Khawaja in the first innings being the lone exception.

When Australia resumed their second innings on the fourth day at 109/2, needing another 156 to win, not many gave Bangladesh a chance. But their spinners were made to believe that victory was possible.

Despite Warner's 19th Test century – 112 – Australia folded up for 244, exposing once again their inept towards spin in the Asian sub-continent.

"Only one breakthrough was needed. We kept the pressure from both the sides. The spinners bowled a couple of good balls despite Warner trying to score positive runs post his hundred. Shakib's breakthrough (trapping Warner LBW) started it all," an elated Joshi told DNA from Dhaka on Wednesday.

Feeling himself proud to be a part of two historic days in Bangladesh cricket – he played in their inaugural Test in 2000 for India, taking 5/142 and top-scoring with 92, and coached them to their first Test win against Australia – the 47-year-old Joshi said he was just helping the Bangladeshi spinners play the mind games.

"To be honest, we are just working on just that one ball that troubled the Aussie batsmen in India earlier this year. Today was no different," Joshi said, without revealing too much of his plans as there is the second Test to go in Chittagong from September 4.

"It is about having different plans for different batsmen in different conditions. You cannot set the same field for every opponent. You have to think about the shots they are going to play and set accordingly," Joshi said, also bringing in the experience from his playing days against the Aussies.

"The aim was to try and make unusual things that batsmen are usually not used to. This puts the batsmen in an uncomfortable position, like the way they were made to look in India. Secondly, the plan was to bowl a tight line and not give runs," said the all-rounder from Karnataka.

Joshi said that having Warner and Smith not out overnight worked to Bangladesh's advantage in a way.

"After the initial two wickets on Tuesday, the Bangladesh spinners tried a bit too much. My discussion with them was that two best batsmen in the world (Warner and Smith) will look to dominate. As bowlers, you have to be disciplined and let them make unusual things that they are not used to. The message to them was that they have the world's best batsmen and the spinners had to come out with something different," Joshi said.

He also paid rich tributes to man-of-the-match Shakib. "Shakib is a great thinker and is leading the bowling attack with a lot of confidence and experience and also helping captain in setting the field."

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