What we have seen in Darwin is total domination from Bangladesh in the first two days, and things were no different on Day 3. They kept plugging away and played attritional cricket to keep Australia at bay and kept the pressure on the hosts throughout. The hosts, for their part showed fight and resilience out there but Bangladesh still have their noses in front at the close of play.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s solid half-century kept Australia at bay and ensured Bangladesh score 426 despite a six-wicket haul from Josh Hazlewood. In reply, Bangladesh chipped away at the wickets with the Aussie openers falling cheaply to Hasan Mahmud before the spinners Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz got rid of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. But Cameron Green and Alex Carey the keeper ensured Australia steady things to be 161/4 in 53 overs trailing by 67 runs in this Test match.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s solid half-century keeps Bangladesh in charge of the morning session despite losing a couple of wickets
Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud resumed proceedings for Bangladesh while captain Pat Cummins had the ball in hand for Australia. Cummins started the day with a maiden. Josh Hazlewood took the new ball from the other end. Mehidy was given OUT LBW but he used the DRS to survive the call. Cummins continued and bowled a probing over. Hazlewood drew first blood for the Aussies on Day 3 as he removed Mahmud for 14 off 92 balls with 2 fours to his name catching him right in front. Mahmud reviewed in hope and burnt the DRS.
Taijul Islam came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Cummins continued as Islam drove the ball past backward point for a boundary. Hazlewood continued as Taijul managed to drive it through mid-off for a triple. Mitchell Starc came into the attack for the first time on Day 3. He bowled a good first over. Hazlewood continued as Taijul took it on and whipped it behind square for the maximum. Hazlewood struck again as he removed Taijul for 17 off 23 balls with one four and one six to his name with the edge going to the gully fielder.
Taskin Ahmed came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Hazlewood continued as Mehidy went for the pull and got a top edge over the keeper for a boundary. Starc continued and bowled a decent over. Nathan Lyon came into the attack for the first time today. He bowled a good first over as Bangladesh were 380/8 in 122 overs when players paused for Drinks in the morning session. Starc continued as Australia burnt their last review against Miraz for a caught down the leg side. Lyon bowled a maiden then.
Cummins came back into the attack and he overstepped. Miraz then drove the ball square of the wicket through deep backward point for a boundary. Starc changed ends as Taskin threw his hands and got the outside edge down to the third man fence for a boundary. Starc overstepped as Miraz got to his 10th test fifty in 117 balls with a brace through mid-on. Cummins continued and bowled a good over. Lyon returned and bowled a maiden.
Cummins continued as Taskin backed away and pulled it behind square at backward square leg for a boundary as the 400 came up for Bangladesh in 128.1 overs. Taskin got a lifeline as Smith dropped a sitter at deep backward square leg off Cummins. Head put down a difficult chance of Mehidy in the same over off Cummins. Lyon continued as Miraz got a triple past mid-off.
Cameron Green came into the attack for the first time on Day 3. He bowled a decent over. Cummins continued and bowled a decent over. Green bowled the last over before Lunch as Mehidy took the short ball on and pulled him away over fine leg for the maximum. Bangladesh reached 417/8 in 133 overs with Miraz unbeaten on 65 off 152 balls alongside Taskin Ahmed unbeaten on 12 off 22 balls as Bangladesh led by 219 runs with 2 wickets in hand as players took Lunch on Day 3.
Josh Hazlewood’s 6-wicket haul keeps Bangladesh to 426 in 138 overs; Australia lose both openers to Hasan Mahmud in afternoon session
Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed resumed proceedings for Bangladesh while Josh Hazlewood started the proceedings for Australia with the ball in hand. Hazlewood struck straightaway as he removed the set batter Miraz for 65 off 154 balls with an outside edge to Alex Carey who made no mistake. Ebadot Hossain was the last man to walk out to bat for Bangladesh. Lyon continued and delivered a maiden over. Hazlewood continued and kept it tight.
Lyon continued as Ebadot took him on and slog swept it down on one knee over deep midwicket for the maximum. Hazlewood continued and got his 6th scalp as he removed Ebadot for 7 off 18 balls with one six to his name as the outside edge that carried to Carey who did the rest. Taskin remained unbeaten on 14 off 32 balls with 2 fours to his name as Bangladesh were bowled out for 426 in 138 overs. 19 extras given by the Australian bowlers.
It was a hard toil for the Australian bowlers with Josh Hazlewood being the pick of the bowlers with figures of 6/89 in 28 overs. Mitchell Starc chipped in with 2/79 in 26 overs. Pat Cummins chipped in with 1/75 in 27 overs. Nathan Lyon chipped in with 1/102 in 31 overs. Cameron Green bowled 10 overs for 34 runs. Beau Webster bowled 10 overs for 28 runs. Travis Head bowled 2 overs for 3 runs while Marnus Labuschagne bowled 4 overs for 4 runs. So, Bangladesh led by 228 runs and it was Australia’s turn to bat in their second innings.
Travis Head and Jake Weatherald came out to open the batting for Australia while Taskin Ahmed had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Taskin conceded 4 leg byes as a bonus to the batting side. Hasan Mahmud had ball in hand from the other end. Hasan struck early as Weatherald chopped the ball back onto the stumps for a bronze duck to leave Australia shaking. Marnus Labuschagne came out to bat next. Taskin continued and overstepped as well.
Labuschagne flicked it away through midwicket region for a boundary off Taskin. Mahmud bowled a maiden. Taskin continued as Marnus survives a LBW call against him with Bangladesh burning a review as well. Mahmud continued as Head drove it crisply through the covers for a boundary. Head again rocked back and cut it away through backward point for a boundary. Taskin asked questions off Marnus.
Ebadot Hossain came into the attack next. Travis Head got a triple through mid-off. Taskin continued and bowled a decent over. Ebadot continued as Marnus drove it crisply through covers and mid-off for a boundary. Head then got into the act and whipped it to square leg for a boundary. Mahmud continued and struck again as he removed Travis Head for 17 off 35 balls with 3 fours to his name as he chopped it back onto the stumps. Steve Smith came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Ebadot continued and bowled a quiet over. Mahmud bowled a maiden. Smith was adjudged caught behind off Ebadot but Smith reviewed and reversed the decision in his favour via a DRS call. Smith then drove it past mid-off for a boundary. Hasan continued and bowled a decent over. Spin came into the attack as Taijul came into the attack next. He bowled a quiet first over.
Hasan came to bowl the last over before Tea. The 50 came up for Australia in 16.1 overs. Mahmud bowled a decent over as Australia reached 51/2 in 17 overs with Marnus unbeaten on 21 off 48 balls and Steve Smith unbeaten on 8 off 17 balls as players left the field for the Tea break with the Aussies still trailing by 177 runs with 8 wickets in hand.
Bangladesh spinners remove Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith; Cameron Green’s fighting unbeaten knocks helps Australia in an absorbing final session
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith came out to resume the proceedings for Australia while Taskin Ahmed started the proceedings for Bangladesh. Labuschagne got a triple past mid-on. Smith then shuffled across and pulled it to midwicket for a boundary. Ebadot came into the attack from the other end. Marnus then punched the ball through the covers for a triple.
Taijul came back into the attack as Smith creamed it through the covers for a boundary. Taijul provided the breakthrough for Bangladesh as he removed Marnus for 31 off 59 balls with 2 fours to his name by cleaning up his leg stump. Cameron Green came out to bat next. Ebadot continued and bowled a decent over. Taijul bowled another good probing over. Ebadot continued and bowled a good over. Taijul bowled another decent over.
Ebadot continued as Smith broke the shackles as he punched the ball away to the left of deep point for a boundary. Ebadot overstepped while Smith punched the ball late through backward point for a boundary. Taijul continued and bowled a decent over. Taskin returned to the attack. Green got a triple through covers as the 100 came up for Australia in 26.5 overs.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz came into the attack next for the first time in this innings. He bowled a decent first over. Taskin delivered a maiden over. Miraz kept things tight. Taskin continued as Green looked to defend and get an inside edge past the leg stump and away to the fine leg fence for a lucky boundary. Mehidy delivered another maiden over. Taskin overstepped but kept things under check. Miraz bowled a decent over as Australia reached 116/3 in 34 overs as Drinks came onto the field in the evening session.
Hasan Mahmud returned after the break and bowled a decent over. Miraz bowled another maiden. Mahmud continued and bowled a decent over. Miraz continued and got the massive breakthrough for Bangladesh as he removed Smith for 44 off 88 balls with 5 fours to his name as the batter chipped it back to the bowler. Alex Carey came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Mahmud continued and bowled a decent over.
Miraz bowled a quiet over. Mahmud continued as Green got a triple past mid-on. Miraz bowled another tight over. Taijul Islam came back into the attack. He bowled a probing over. Miraz continued as a small run out chance was created. Taijul continued and bowled a quiet over. Miraz continued and bowled a maiden over. Taijul continued as Carey broke the shackles with a reverse sweep as Ebadot at backward point misfielded and let the ball go through.
Miraz continued and bowled another probing over. Taskin Ahmed came back into the attack as Green drove it through covers for a boundary past mid-off. Miraz bowled another maiden over. Taskin continued and kept things tight. Taijul continued as Carey smashed the ball down the ground drilling it past the bowler for a boundary. Miraz came to bowl the final over of the day. Carey rocked back and cut the short ball past the right of point for a boundary.
Australia ended the day at 161/4 in 53 overs with Cameron Green unbeaten on 43 off 86 balls with 2 fours to his name while Alex Carey was unbeaten on 19 off 50 balls with 3 fours to his name. 7 extras given by Bangladesh as Australia now trailed by 67 runs with 6 second innings wickets in hand.
Hasan Mahmud finished the day with figures of 2/33 in 11 overs. Taijul Islam finished the day with figures of 1/28 in 9 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz finished with 1/20 in 13 overs. Taskin Ahmed finished the day with 0/38 in 12 overs. Ebadot finished with 0/38 in 8 overs. Bangladesh still ahead at stumps on Day 3.
What Lies Ahead on Day 4
Bangladesh are still ahead in the contest but Australia fought hard to stay in the Test match but a lot of hard work lies await for them going forward. Australia trail by 67 runs with 6 wickets in hand. Australia have to erase the deficit and then have enough wickets in hand to set up a challenging chase for Bangladesh. While the tourists will look for early wickets and go into the Australian lower order tomorrow to drive home the advantage and chase a simple target.
An interesting Day 4 awaits us all and the first hour or session will be crucial and could play a defining factor in deciding who walks away with the contest. It will give us a trend for sure. Let’s see what Day has in-store for us. Day 3 was absorbing and exciting to say the least. Expect more of the same perhaps tomorrow.
Also Read: AUS vs BAN: Tanzid Hasan’s Maiden Test Ton Drives Home The Advantage For Bangladesh