Spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the key wicket of Steve Smith to reduce Australia to 161-4 after the third day of the first Test in Darwin, moving Bangladesh closer to a historic victory. At the close of play on Saturday, Australia trailed the visitors by 67 runs in their second innings, with Cameron Green unbeaten on 43 and Alex Carey on 19.
After being dismissed for 426 shortly after lunch, Bangladesh seamer Hasan Mahmud stunned the hosts by claiming both openers cheaply. Hasan, who recorded a career-best 6-55 in the first innings, bowled Jake Weatherald for a duck and Travis Head for 17 in identical fashion, with both batters chopping the ball onto their stumps.
On a good batting strip, Marnus Labuschagne and Smith initially steadied the ship. Labuschagne, whose place in the team has come under increasing scrutiny due to poor form, eased to 31 before playing over the top of a straight ball from left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and being bowled. Smith, often Australia’s saviour, batted sensibly until the score reached 122, when he got a leading edge to off-spinner Mehidy and chipped a return catch back to the bowler.
Earlier in the match, the unfancied visitors bowled the hosts out for 198 on the first day and showed great dedication with the bat to keep the home side in the field for 138 overs. Many had expected an easy Australian victory following Bangladesh’s poor performance in their warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI, where they were bowled out for 54 in the second innings.
Bangladesh resumed the day on 351-6, and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood took two wickets in the first hour to give the hosts hope of wrapping up the tail quickly. Hasan, who defied the Australians for over an hour on Friday, lasted just four overs on Saturday before being trapped leg before by Hazlewood, adding only one run to his overnight score of 13. Taijul Islam added a breezy 17 before becoming Hazlewood’s 299th Test wicket when he guided a ball straight to Cameron Green at gully.
Mehidy shielded the lower order brilliantly in the morning session to frustrate a tiring Australian attack. With Mehidy protecting Taskin Ahmed, Bangladesh pushed their lead past 200 and kept the Australian bowlers toiling for another two hours. They were aided by poor Australian fielding, including an inexplicable miss by Smith, who dropped a simple chance from a mistimed pull by Taskin, and a spilled catch by Head two balls later.
Hazlewood, the pick of the Australian attack with 6-89, reached his 300th Test wicket when he had Mehidy caught behind by Alex Carey, leaving Bangladesh at 418-9. He claimed his 301st wicket when number 11 Ebadot Hossain fell in the same fashion for seven. When Mehidy was finally dismissed for 65 shortly after lunch, he had successfully placed his team in a commanding position.
Visiting captain Najmul Hossain Shanto praised his team’s resilience after the day’s play. “The way we showed character and the way we played for the last two or three days was outstanding,” Shanto told Fox Sports. “We are taking it session by session, focusing on the process and not the outcome.”
Bangladesh are now attempting to win a Test match in Australia for the first time in their history, having failed in their two previous attempts. With the visitors holding a significant lead and the Australian top order dismantled, the prospect of a landmark result in Darwin remains firmly within reach as the match enters its final stages.
Hasan, who took a career-best 6-55 in the first innings, bowled Jake Weatherald (0) and Travis Head (17) in identical fashion, both chopping on to their stumps.
When he was finally dismissed for 65 by Josh Hazlewood shortly after lunch, he had helped put his team into a strong position halfway through the match.
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