India, Aug. 15 -- There is a natural tendency in us to support an underdog, especially if our team is not part of the contest. That is why there is so much joy among the neutrals as Bangladesh look set to upset Australia in the first Test at Darwin. At the end of day two on Friday, the visitors (351/6) had taken a 153-run first-innings lead and appeared in complete charge of the encounter.

Yes, the Bangladeshis played well to be where they are at the moment but other factors also aided them. Let's make it very clear right at the beginning that Najmul Hossain Shanto's team deserves all the accolades they have been getting over the last couple of days. In recent months, Shanto has spoken of his desire to beat big teams like Australia and I...