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Twenty-three years later. That’s how long it has been since Bangladesh played a Test series on Australian soil for the first time, and the prospect of their return visit could scarcely be more intimidating. Less than a week before the first Test in Darwin, their touring party was confronted with an alarming reality after losing by innings and 38 runs to a Cricket Australia XI in what proved a chastening experience for the visitors.

Bangladesh’s hopes of turning their fortunes around in this series rest heavily on the shoulders of Najmul Hossain Shanto.

The all-rounder is both a tactical leader in the field and a crucial middle-order batter, and he is the joint most successful Test captain by win percentage. Shanto will be looking to lead by example with both bat and ball in Australia, where he will also have to contend with the loss of key partners to injury.

A Captain of Contrasts: Najmul Hossain Shanto

To understand Najmul Hossain Shanto’s appeal within Bangladesh, you need to understand his duality. Off the field he is all soft smiles and shy restraint; pull him onto the pitch and his gentle nature is subsumed by a combative streak. “Shanto is literally shanto [i.e. calm] off the field, and aggressive on the field,” says Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh’s former captain and mentor to this current team, who guided them through their historic – and until recently only – Test tour of Australia in 2003. “He ends up taking big decisions because he has a winning mentality. He wants to win at everything.”

That aggression has already changed Bangladesh’s red-ball culture. Earlier this year, Shanto forced the BCB to create something special by laying out pace-up pitches for their home series against Pakistan, and it was a big decision. Shanto went all in when he declared the innings with a lead of just 267, and then took 7 wickets for Nahid Rana to bowl them out for a stunning 326. It was an almost complete turnaround of the overly cautious philosophy that had defined Bangladesh’s Test matches for years.

Firefighting at Number Four

Mahmud and senior coaches often remind Najmul Hossain Shanto that his captaincy is only as good as his batting. And for a captain who has batted at number four for the last 18 months, that can be a depressing thought.

Shanto often finds himself at the other end, walking in at number four to bat with Mominul Haque to smother the dangerous opening stand and tame the freeflow of the Bangladeshi top order.

That is because for the last three years, Bangladesh’s opening stand has either featured five different pairings or been depleted by injuries. Meanwhile, Shanto has remained a solid number four batsman, whose natural game is to play attacking shots. However, the middle order offers some respite as Litton Das provides a handy lower-order batting partnership, and Mushfiqur Rahim is also there to hold the other end.

With the injured pace bowler Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam also unavailable for the opener, the responsibility to bat for Bangladesh rests on Shanto’s shoulders.

The Task In Darwin

It would have been easy for any captain to have thrown in the towel after Bangladesh’s miserable 54-run collapse in the warm-up match against Australia. Shanto, however, has the unique ability to communicate and co-ordinate with his team to boost morale.

“He has the selflessness and boldness to lead his team during tough times,” BCB senior coach Sohel Islam said. “He can deliver his message to individuals in the team to get things done. That helps clear the air in the room.”

Whether it’s seeking advice from senior teammates like Mushfiqur Rahim or his president Tamim Iqbal, Shanto has the modern leader’s touch to manage and motivate his team. He keeps track of the players’ fitness and morale, both on and off the field, all while using his bat to set the on-field tempo.

Australia is not known for being a happy hunting ground for teams from the subcontinent, but Shanto has carved a reputation for himself by defying the odds. And if Bangladesh are to have any success during their stay in Darwin, it will be down to the inspirational and fearless persona of their captain.

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