Australia's stunning defeat by Bangladesh in Darwin has shaken the cricket world, marking the most profound upset in international cricket history. This defeat is not just a shock due to the disparity between the two teams' resources and histories, but also because of the manufactured rarity of this match-up. Since Bangladesh's admission to Test ranks in 2000, Australia has treated a cricket populace of over 100 million people with condescension, hosting only two Tests in 26 years and avoiding tours. This has left Bangladesh, a junior Asian nation with only nine away Test wins in its history, with little opportunity to grow and develop. The Australian team, despite being well-supplied, couldn't avoid the upset, and this raises a deeper question about the sport's inclusivity and the need to give nations with potential time and space to grow. The more help they are given, the more they could lift the global game. In the last week, Bangladesh has already shown what they have been able to build on their own, and this defeat demands that they be brought in from the periphery. Australia desperately needs to win the second Test to settle nerves, but whatever happens in Mackay, Darwin will stand as a testament to the power of the underdog and the need for a more inclusive cricket world.
