Before the Test series began, plenty of people were saying Bangladesh had no chance, particularly after their poor performance in the warm-up match.

Perhaps the question now is whether the Australians bought into that same thinking and underestimated their opposition.

Bangladesh deserve enormous credit. They have been disciplined, patient and prepared to compete for long periods of the first Test in Darwin.

Just three days into what will be a demanding Test schedule over the next 12 months, the questions surrounding this ageing Australian side are already in full swing.

We could argue that this is Australia’s first Test in about seven months, the players are rusty and Darwin presents different conditions.

For me, those explanations do not cut it. These are professional cricketers. Moving between formats and adapting to different conditions are parts of the job. The expectation from the players and the Australian public remains the same: turn up fit, prepared, and ready to win.

Against a lower-ranked Test nation at home, this was certainly not part of the script.

Australia won the toss and chose to bat on a surface where we could debate whether they should have bowled first. That was Pat Cummins’ decision and, as captain, he must live by it. The team must also stand by that call rather than blaming the pitch or claiming the bowlers received the rough end of the conditions.

The Australian attack looked old at times during Bangladesh’s first innings. From the outside, the body language appeared flat and several players looked sore. Australia were slow in the field, dropped too many chances and lacked the energy we normally associate with this team.

The heat made life difficult, but Bangladesh deserve credit for keeping Australia in the field for 131 overs and making the bowlers continue to come back.

Josh Hazlewood did not always look at his best physically, but he kept finding a way. His six wickets carried him to 300 Test wickets, a milestone that deserves proper recognition.

Of Australia’s three frontline quicks, Hazlewood has probably been the one who, throughout most of his career, quietly did whatever was required. He put the ball in the same area repeatedly, day after day.

He has been Australia’s Glenn McGrath-type bowler — relentlessly accurate, dependable, and often operating under the radar while others attracted more attention.

I was there for Josh’s first Test against India at the Gabba in 2014. Watching how his career has unfolded since then, you could argue that very little has changed. His action still looks much the same, as does the calm and uncomplicated way he plays the game.

I wonder how eager he was to reach 300 wickets and whether, at some point over the past few years, he thought the milestone might slip away. His body has increasingly let him down and he has missed plenty of cricket.

To fight his way back and reach 300 wickets with a six-wicket haul is a significant achievement.

I enjoy watching Australia win Test matches. I always have and always will. But I have also enjoyed seeing them genuinely challenged in Darwin.

That is what Test cricket is supposed to be about. It tests your technique, fitness, patience and character. For the world game, seeing a team such as Bangladesh perform this way in Australia is a positive.

Australia have been a dominant Test team for a long time. I enjoy seeing this side put under pressure and finding out how it responds. These situations reveal what a team is really made of and where it currently stands.

Bangladesh still have their tails up and have clearly played the better Test match, but Australia are not completely out of the contest.

You have to earn a Test victory; it is not handed to you because you have won most of the sessions so far.