Speaking to Wisden’s The Scoop, Waugh was impressed with the way Najmul Hossain Shanto and his team played the first Test. The visitors dominated right from the opening day, skittling Australia for just 198 runs, thanks to Hasan Mahmud’s six-for and then batting maturely to take a massive first-innings lead of 228 runs.
They weren’t intimidated against one of the world’s best bowling attacks and kept Australia in the field for a staggering 138 overs. The visiting bowlers continued their good job in the second innings too, proving their heroics on Day 1 weren’t a one-off.
Bangladesh bundled Australia out for 295 and then chased down the target with nine wickets in hand to create history in Darwin. Not once did they allow Australia back in the game after gaining an upper hand on the first day.
“I really liked the way that Bangladesh played,” Waugh said. “They took it to Australia. They weren't intimidated or afraid, and played in a really aggressive manner. They ran between the wickets well. They fielded well, bowling was outstanding and well captained.
"It was a quality Test performance and against all the odds. They were bowled out for 54 in their practice match 3 or 4 days before. So this was one of the great Test match results in the history of Test cricket.”
Also read: Australia haven't been whitewashed at home in 140 years - Bangladesh can change that
Waugh also felt that Bangladesh can beat Australia again in Mackay if they replicate their performance from the series opener. However, he also cautioned the visitors that Pat Cummins and his men would come hard at them with an aim to level the series.
“If they play the way they played in Darwin, 2-0 is a possibility," he added. "You can't deny the fact that they totally outplayed Australia to win by nine wickets. There's a big margin in Test cricket. Look, I expect to be a huge reaction from the Australian side.
“A lot more aggression, a lot more energy. I'd be very surprised if they don't put in a good performance. But having said that, Bangladesh got a lot of confidence when they won the first Test and they'll be hard to beat.”
The second and final Test between Bangladesh and Australia is scheduled to get underway on Saturday, August 22 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.