Bangladesh moved closer to a significant victory against Australia on day three of the First Test in Darwin, largely due to the efforts of spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who claimed the crucial wicket of Steve Smith. This development leaves Australia trailing by 67 runs at stumps, with their second innings score at 161-4.
Smith, a key player for Australia, was dismissed for 44 after chipping a leading edge back to Miraz. His departure left Australia at 122-4, facing a challenging task to save the match. Despite batting out the remainder of the session, Australia‘s hopes now largely rest on the unbeaten pair of Cameron Green, who is on 43, and Alex Carey, on 19.
Bangladesh’s Strong Position
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh extended their overnight score of 351-6, adding 75 runs. Miraz played a vital role with the bat as well, scoring 65 runs from 154 balls and guiding the lower order. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Australian bowlers, taking 6-89, which included his 300th Test wicket.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, highlighting their character over the past few days. After being bowled out for 426 shortly after lunch, Bangladesh‘s seamer Hasan Mahmud made an immediate impact, dismissing both Australian openers cheaply.
Mahmud, who had a career-best performance of 6-55 in the first innings, bowled Jake Weatherald for 0 and Travis Head for 17. Both batsmen chopped the ball onto their stumps. Marnus Labuschagne and Smith then attempted to stabilise the innings before Labuschagne was bowled by Taijul Islam for 31.
Smith batted cautiously for his 44 runs off 88 balls, but his dismissal ignited celebrations among the Bangladesh team on the Marrara Oval pitch, bolstering their confidence for a historic victory. Australia has a historical record of never losing a home Test match to Bangladesh, with their only previous loss to the Tigers occurring in Mirpur in 2017.
Australia’s Fightback
Despite the challenging situation, the partnership between Green and Carey provided Australia with a glimmer of hope as they reached the end of day three. Green‘s place in the side had been a topic of discussion before the series, but he showed resilience alongside wicketkeeper Carey, defending well against the Bangladesh bowling attack.
The deficit for Australia stood at 78 runs at one point during the day, with Green hitting a cover drive for four off Taskin. Carey, meanwhile, played a patient innings, scoring 7 off 30 balls at one stage. The pair’s ability to withstand the pressure will be crucial for Australia on day four.
The Bangladesh bowlers maintained pressure throughout the session, with Mehidy and Taijul Islam bowling in tandem. There was significant chatter from the Bangladesh fielders, particularly around Carey, as they sought to break the partnership. Green, despite a close call where a delivery from Taskin hit his leg stump but failed to dislodge the bails, continued to build his innings.
This match is the first in a two-Test series. The outcome of day four will determine if Bangladesh can secure their first Test victory on Australian soil, or if Australia can mount a comeback from their current position of 161-4, still 67 runs behind.
Source: bbc.com
