We will be back with you, as we always are, for Day 4. Looking forward to seeing whether history will be told, or whether embedded disparity will once again see the results go the way it suggests. Until then.
Stumps Day 3 - Australia 156-4, trail by 72 in the third innings
Another good day for Bangladesh, without fully becoming a great day.
This is very interestingly set up. Obviously Bangladesh are in the stronger position, but they need wickets more urgently than the score suggests - I truly believe that the closer they get to victory, the harder they will find it to close it out.
Let’s imagine a match where Australia’s last four, with the help of Beau Webster, could settle in and add 100, maybe 120. They’ve done that plenty of times before. That would mean that Green and Carey have to add another 100 or so tomorrow morning, and if all of that happened, Australia would have somewhere approaching 150 to defend.
Regardless of the conditions, Bangladesh will very likely find that hard to chase because of the emotions and the anxiety of possibly winning.
If they can defy that anxiety and keep their cool, it will be a sign of major sporting development within that team.
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52nd over: Australia 161-4 (Green 43, Carey 19) Last over of the day. Carey gets a loose one and cuts it for four, and that, my friends, is that.
51st over: Australia 156-4 (Green 42, Carey 15) Well, if you bowl Carey a full half-volley, he will hit that. Four down the ground from Taijul.
50th over: Australia 151-4 (Green 41, Carey 11) Taskin continues, Green takes a single early, Carey has no interest in runs of his own with five minutes left in the day.
49th over: Australia 150-4 (Green 40, Carey 11) Playing for stumps already. Carey blocks out a Mehidy over.
49th over: Australia 150-4 (Green 40, Carey 11) Double spin is over, Taskin comes back, and Green welcomes him with a cover drive for four. Half volley, but that’s the best shot he’s played today. Deficit is down to 78. Australia’s tail is the sort that can add 100. So can this pair make it to stumps, then go on tomorrow until a point when that would be decisive?
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48th over: Australia 146-4 (Green 36, Carey 11) One more run from Mehidy’s over.
47th over: Australia 145-4 (Green 35, Carey 11) Horrible bit of fielding at backward point coughs up a boundary, Ebadot gangling about like a newborn deer as Carey’s reverse sweep comes at him. In the end he lets it go by on his left without even touching it. Taijul is not impressed, the captain even less so.
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46th over: Australia 140-4 (Green 34, Carey 7) Mehidy almost burrows through to Carey’s off stump. “Good ball, good ball!” is the shout. Maiden over. Carey 7 off 30, not often he’d start an innings this slowly.
45th over: Australia 140-4 (Green 34, Carey 7) Taijul races through another over, one run from it.
44th over: Australia 139-4 (Green 34, Carey 6) Mehidy again, off break after left-arm orthodox, a couple of singles from his over. Lots of chatter from Bangladesh around the batters now, they are buzzing.
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43rd over: Australia 137-4 (Green 33, Carey 5) Double spin, Taijul Islam now. Carey is almost out lbw sweeping, but gets the underside of his glove on the ball.
42nd over: Australia 136-4 (Green 32, Carey 5) Mehidy to Green, a single first ball, then nothing for Carey the rest of the over. That includes slamming a short wide ball straight to cover, set halfway back to the rope. Missed the buffet.
41st over: Australia 135-4 (Green 31, Carey 5) Just quietly, Cameron Green is building. Working the singles well off Bangladesh’s attack leader, then slides a shot through midwicket for three runs.
The deficit is down to 93.
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40th over: Australia 128-4 (Green 26, Carey 3) Just the one run from Mehidy’s over of spin. Carey faces most of it.
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39th over: Australia 127-4 (Green 25, Carey 3) Hasan Mahmud now gets a crack at a new batter. Alex Carey is a problem-solver, but it would take one of his best innings to solve this problem. He’s playing very confidently from the get-go, driving the angled ball towards cover repeatedly, eventually getting through the field for two runs.
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As much as Smith did look better than the rest today, we did note not long ago that he doesn’t make hundreds in his second innings. Very interesting career, statistically speaking.
38th over: Australia 124-4 (Green 24, Carey 1) Both Bangladesh spinners in the book. Australia down by 104 as Carey comes to the crease.
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WICKET! Smith c&b Mehidy Hasan 44, Australia 122-4
Is that the game? Is that the game? Steve Smith is gone, and the Tigers are roaring! What a catch from Mehidy. Good piece of bowling from the off-spinner. He bowls from deeper than usual in his own crease, not as far back as Mark Watt but probably a foot and a half behind the bowling crease on delivery. There is drift with the breeze, and Smith’s attempt to turn the ball to leg instead becomes a leading edge back to the bowler’s right. The ball is dipping, and Mehidy lunges across and down low to grab it as he goes to ground. Great take, the hugest wicket!
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37th over: Australia 121-3 (Smith 44, Green 22) A couple of singles from Hasan’s bowling, as he drifts wide of off stump, but he corrects quickly.
Deficit down to 107.
36th over: Australia 118-3 (Smith 43, Green 20) Maiden over from Mehidy to Smith.
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35th over: Australia 118-3 (Smith 43, Green 20) Time for Hasan Mahmud to have another crack, the one who might make something happen. The current pair are well set, and if a century stand runs down the deficit, the rest of Australia’s batting can set some sort of lead. You wouldn’t want to be chasing many as Bangladesh, given the pressure of possibility. So they really need to find a way past Smith. Hasan bowling to only one slip for Green, and that fielder is standing wider than first slip.
34th over: Australia 116-3 (Smith 42, Green 19) Three singles from Mehidy’s over, and that is the drinks break. Australia down by 112.
33rd over: Australia 113-3 (Smith 41, Green 17) Taskin must be pleading for fate to give him some kindness. Does get the inside edge of Smith’s bat, squeezed between the batters legs safely. Smith tries another bang through point, I’m never sure that his concentration is at its best when he’s hitting off side with that sort of power. No-ball from the sixth delivery, dot ball from the seventh.
32nd over: Australia 111-3 (Smith 41, Green 16) Lots of chat from Litton behind the stumps as Mehidy bowls a maiden. Australia are still 117 runs in debt.
31st over: Australia 111-3 (Smith 41, Green 16) Oh my word! Taskin has hit the stumps… but Green survives. That should have been the third chop-on of the innings. Taskin with angle and a bit of movement in, Green pushes forward to defend, takes the inside edge, back on to his thigh pad, then clips the outside of his leg stump, but the bails stay on. Not only that, the deflection carries on fine for four runs. What a reprieve.
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30th over: Australia 104-3 (Smith 38, Green 11) Similar quietness from Mehidy to Smith, the spinner working at the stumps consistently, making Smith play each ball. The last of them is driven for a single, the only score.
29th over: Australia 103-3 (Smith 38, Green 11) Taskin is trying to put the clamps on Green. A bit of breeze behind the bowler to help him along. Lands the ball on the spot six times out of six, working away on an off-stump line.
28th over: Australia 103-3 (Smith 38, Green 11) A change in spinners as well, Mehidy’s off breaks in place of the left-arm stuff. Smith gets his foot out of the way and slots one through the leg side with a straight bat, but there’s a fielder back to keep him to one.
27th over: Australia 100-3 (Smith 37, Green 9) Ebadot off, Taskin on, good call. Bangladesh needing to figure out their next path to a wicket. Cam Green has been very quiet thus far. Gets a nice square punch away for two. Then times a better one that goes for three.
26th over: Australia 94-3 (Smith 36, Green 4) Lots of chatter from the wicketkeeper encouraging Taijul Islam to keep at the batters. Two singles from the over.
25th over: Australia 92-3 (Smith 35, Green 3) Gee, Smith is batting on a different pitch, same as the first innings. Waits for errors, twice picks off Ebadot through point to the boundary!
Australia are 133 behind.
24th over: Australia 83-3 (Smith 27, Green 3) Taijul probing away, Smith looking unfussed. Remember when he was supposedly struggling with a “weakness” against left-arm spin? Didn’t really pan out.
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23rd over: Australia 79-3 (Smith 24, Green 2) Ebadot doing an ok holding job, no menace in it though. Funny that it’s a surface where it’s hard to see where the next wicket is coming from, yet the Australians have coughed up three already.
22nd over: Australia 77-3 (Smith 23, Green 1) Appeal for a catch down the leg side, Bangladesh discuss it while Smith tries to goad them into taking it. “Go on, use it. Waste another one. What do you think?” They ignore him, luckily given the replay shows a big gap. Smith plays a violent shot next ball, though it’s stopped at cover, really rifling the ball through that one.
21st over: Australia 76-3 (Smith 22, Green 1) That’s a deficit of 155 for Australia at the start of this over, with Ebadot bowling to Smith in the first instance, then Cam Green, another player who needs a score. Weatherald and Labuschagne are the other two, who’ve already missed their chance. Green off the mark to fine leg easily.
WICKET! Labuschagne b Taijul 31, Australia 73-3
20th over: Australia 73-3 (Smith 20) Huge moment! Last ball of the over, Taijul Islam knocks over Labuschagne just as the No 3 was starting to look good. Smith has taken runs from the over, a boundary through cover first ball, but the last ball is the one that tilts the balance. Taijul Islam has flighted a few deliveries previously, then sends this one burning through at faster pace. The trajectory from around the wicket takes the ball in towards Labuschagne’s feet, and as he tries to work that ball through the leg-side, his foot shifts out of the way and a path towards leg stump is opened up. The flatter and faster delivery confuses Labuschagne’s timing, he misses his flick, and he loses leg stump. Bangladesh’s spinners are finally into the wickets.
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19th over: Australia 66-2 (Labuschagne 30, Smith 14) The runs are coming pretty nicely for Australia now, and much better for Labuschagne. A couple into the leg side, three through cover, then a Smith single. Ebadot goes for six from the over.
18th over: Australia 60-2 (Labuschagne 25, Smith 13) Back after the tea break, and Taskin Ahmed will be the bowler. Starts nicely, going past Smith’s edge, then there’s a run to cover that Marnus for some reason doesn’t want, but Smith overrules him and runs through anyway. Plenty of time. Gets the strike back after a Labuschagne three, then Smith belts a pull for four!
Tea: Australia trail by 177 at 51-2
Bangladesh right on top! It all comes down to Smith really, whether he can script another big innings, and in the first instance whether Labuschagne can come good alongside him. Smith doesn’t have many third-innings hundreds, historically, but when he does they’ve come early in a Test, and here it’s only day three.
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17th over: Australia 51-2 (Labuschagne 21, Smith 8) There will be one more over from Hasan, with tea to give him a rest afterwards, and he draws a miscued pull from Marnus first ball, but it lands safely out at midwicket.
16th over: Australia 46-2 (Labuschagne 18, Smith 8) Spin earlier than we saw it in the first dig. Taijul Islam with his left-arm orthos. In at the stumps, sliding the ball on at the right-handers. Two singles.
15th over: Australia 44-2 (Labuschagne 17, Smith 7) Another over in which the first score comes from the last ball. Labuschagne is leaving and defending before working two runs to leg. Is the sixth over of Hasan’s spell his last for now? He has 2 for 15.
14th over: Australia 44-2 (Labuschagne 15, Smith 7) And a reprieve for Smith, would have been gone in the old days. Wide from Ebadot, big cover drive from Smith that misses completely, and the bottom corner of the bat nicks the ground as the ball passes. Understandable that the umpire gives that based on the noise, but Smith knows it was turf, would have felt the contact, and he’s started reviewing before the umpire has made a call. Makes the T sign before Umpire Dharmasena has got the finger up.
Disappointment for Ebadot, and again after five dot balls on the spot are followed by one superb off drive, on the rise, for four.
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13th over: Australia 40-2 (Labuschagne 15, Smith 3) Hands on head in the slip cordon! Hasan gets a ball to stay low, to creep in at Labuschagne, but he just gets the bat down to protect his pads and skew the ball into the gully. Doesn’t score from the over, with tea approaching.
12th over: Australia 40-2 (Labuschagne 15, Smith 3) Great fielding! Ebadot has bowled a decent set, two runs from it, then the last ball Smith steps across and crunches behind point with an almost straight bat – but the rocketing four evaporates, grabbed in the gully on the bounce.
11th over: Australia 38-2 (Labuschagne 15, Smith 1) Gosh, what a Test for Hasan Mahmud. He’s up to eight wickets in the match now, and a long and important innings with the bat in between. Steve Smith is almost run out first ball, too, has to sprint and dive to make his ground taking a chancy single towards point.
WICKET! Head b Hasan Mahmud 17, Australia 37-2
Forget that! Forget anything about Travis Head’s innings! It is over. The same as Weatherald, another drag-on, looking to square punch the ball close to his body, and the surface is slow, and the bat slightly angled, so instead of the ball heading towards point it heads back on to the stumps. Head looks at the wreckage, thinks for a beat, then quietly puts up the bails and places them back on the pegs before departing. A small moment of bonsai tending.
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10th over: Australia 36-1 (Head 17, Labuschagne 14) Fantastic, well done Angus. I’ve been thinking all day that the biggest threat to Bangladesh’s position, the thing that could still upend them, would be Travis Head coming out and belting a big score in the way that he does. Well, this over has boundary number three of his innings, a middled pull. But a lot more of those needed. Beforehand, Labuschagne drives four through cover. Ebadot takes the hits.
Thanks for your company today. It’s now time for a change of commentary. It’ll be Geoff Lemon steering you through the Darwin afternoon.
9th over: Australia 27-1 (Head 13, Labuschagne 9) With 203 runs in credit, Taskin rolls in for a fifth over. Head is watchful, trying to temper his instinct to attack with the responsibility of being a vice-captain charged with steering his side out of a storm. For now he keeps his powder dry and takes two from the over.
8th over: Australia 25-1 (Head 11, Labuschagne 9) Time for a change. It’ll be Ebadot Hossain into the fray against Head. Australia have nine wickets in hand but still have 206 runs to score before they reach parity. Head gets them three runs closer by leaning on a straight ball and pinging it through mid-on.
7th over: Australia 22-1 (Head 8, Labuschagne 9) Marnus muscles a ball off his pads and banks two. But now he’s DROPPED?! It was a beautiful ball by Taskin, angling off the seam and Labuschagne’s bat sliced across the line and looked to catch the edge. The wicketkeeper was wrongfooted and grassed it diving to his right. But it’s not that bad. Replays show it clipped the inside pad. Superb bowling by Taskin.
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6th over: Australia 20-1 (Head 8, Labuschagne 7) After six wickets in the first innings, Mahmud already has the scalp of Jake Weatherald hanging from his belt. But this is Travis Head he’s bowling to and when the ball sails a fraction wide the moustachioed musketeer steps out and crunches it to the rope. After 15 balls, Head is off the mark in style. Two balls later, he goes again, this time square cutting to the fence. Welcome to Travball, Bangladesh.
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5th over: Australia 12-1 (Head 0, Labuschagne 7) Strewth, that’s close! Taskin bowls his second ball faster and straighter and Marnus just shoulders arms and lets it hit him. Crazy leave! Umpire says ‘Nope’ but Bangladesh will review. DRS back that call, showing it clearing middle stump by an inch. Good bowling by Taskin, dangerous batting by Marnus. Australia look wobbly.
4th over: Australia 12-1 (Head 0, Labuschagne 7) Mahmud steams in at Travis Head who has not scored from his first 13 deliveries so far. Not unusual for batter who often idles early before he goes full throttle. Head plays out a maiden.
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3rd over: Australia 12-1 (Head 0, Labuschagne 7) Another huge appeal from Taskin as Labuschagne tempts fate by getting squared up on off stump. No review but plenty of energy. After his rearguard action with the bat, Taskin is bowling with vim. But when his fourth ball strays, Labuschagne steps down and swats him away for a boundary. Good shot and great positive intent despite the rocky start to this Australian second innings.
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2nd over: Australia 7-1 (Head 4, Labuschagne 3) The disastrous start for Australia -Weatherald gone third ball – almost gets worse as Marnus Labuschagne misses a good length ball and staggers as it crashes into his pads. Huge appeal but Bangladesh don’t review and rightly so as replays show it just missing leg stump. Marnus clips three to get off strike but the Tigers have their tail up!
WICKET! Weatherald b Mahmud 0 (Australia 4-1)
The hometown boy is gone chopping onto his stumps! He chased a wide one first up and when Mahmud jagged one back fuller at his ribs he went for it again, desperate to get bat on ball. Instead, he invites disaster and gets it. Gone in 60 seconds! Australia in early trouble.
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1st over: Australia 4-0 (Head 0, Weatherald 0) It will be Taskin Ahmed to open Bangladesh’s defence of their massive 426. He eases into his work with three 130kph floaters which Head watches go by. The Darwin mercury is still above 30 degrees but we have had some occasional cloud cover which may play into the visitor’s hands. Head opens Australia’s account by nudging a legside ball to the fine leg boundary. But it’s a fine reply by Taskin as he slides one past the edge next ball. Game on!
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Darwin has a home crowd hero in the making and they know it. They are cheering Jake Weatherald on to the field with gusto, hoping he can lead Australia to a miracle fightback. The home side has two-and-half days and perfect batting conditions to save face. Will they attack from the get-go? Or will they play for survival? Here comes the first ball, Head on strike …
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Bangladesh all out 426. They lead Australia by 228 runs.
That was a proper humbling for Australian cricket. Bangladesh have bossed them from the beginning of this Test and they did so again on the morning of day three, playing with flair and savvy to extend their lead beyond 200 and leave the home side’s batters a mountain to climb if they are to save this Test.
Darwin-born Jake Weatherald will shortly emerge to bat for his career in Australia’s second-innings. He will have Travis Head by his side. Will the two-time Allan Border medallist bring the Travball pyrotechnics? Or will he flip the script and play more patiently to steer his side out of a hole so deep it’s starting to look like a grave. We’ll find out shortly…
WICKET! Taskin c Carey b Hazlewood 7 (426-10)
Hazlewood gets six! A typically lovely outswinging delivery draws the nibble and Carey pouches a simple catch. After 138 gruelling overs, Bangladesh are out for 426, their second-highest Test score. They lead the home side by 228 runs.
138th over: Bangladesh 426-9 (Taskin 14, Hossain 7) Hazlewood starts his 28th over with a bouncer and Taskin swings hard and lofts high… only for the ball to land safe between the Australian outfielders. The batters run a single, smiling all the way. Bangladesh have their enemy on the rack and they’re loving it.
137th over: Bangladesh 425-9 (Taskin 13, Hossain 7) Lyon enters his 31st over with Bangladesh now leading by 221 runs. The veteran Aussie offie wheels a couple past Hossain who is strictly in survival mode… until he goes haywire on the final ball, stepping out and swatting it over the fence for a big SIX.
136th over: Bangladesh 419-9 (Taskin 13, Hossain 1) After joining the 300 Test Wicket Club in his last over, Josh Reginald Hazlewood has earned another over and he gets it, celebrating with a nostril-nuzzling bouncer to No 11 Hossain who, according to Cricinfo, was once a volleyball player for the Bangladeshi Air Force. Maybe so, because the Tiger Top Gun neatly hops into a nasty rising ball heading for his ribs and tucks it away safely to get off his duck.
135th over: Bangladesh 418-9 (Taskin 13, Hossain 0) Ebadot Hossain is the new batter. But for now it’s Taskin facing Lyon who is 1-96 and will be desperate to avoid notching a century. He keeps the ignominy at bay for now with a maiden.
WICKET! Miraz c Carey b Hazlewood 65 (418-9)
Hazlewood has his five-for – and his 300th Test wicket! A glorious seaming ball outside off-stump and it draws a rash stroke and a big snick from Miraz. Lovely bowling, loose batting and just rewards for Hazlewood, one of the all-time great Australian bowlers and a lovely bloke to boot. That’s his 14th five-for in 77 wonderful Tests for his country.
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134th over: Bangladesh 417-8 (Miraz 65, Taskin 13) Here we go for the second session of day three. It will be Josh Hazlewood to start, now in his 29th over and with the pick of the figures (4-86). A right away there’s a near-miss for Taskin as his attempted drop-shot falls perilously close to Travis Head at silly mid-off.
And here’s why Ponting is excited by Ollie Peake…
As Australia’s players are brought to their knees by the No 9 cricket nation in the world, plenty are pointing fingers at the selectors. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has been very vocal about his belief that this series was the chance to blood youth and refresh Australia’s squad of thirtysomethings.
Ponting’s picks were Campbell Kellaway and Ollie Peake, presumably to replace Jake Weatherald at the top and Cameron Green in the middle-order.
At the end of last year, I said Kellaway and Peake were the ones that I wanted to have,” Ponting told Channel Seven. “They decided not to do that. But my worry is, when do they do that? Are you going to debut these guys in South Africa against Rabada and Jansen and co? That would be a whole lot harder. So I just feel there’s an opportunity here that may have been missed.
Here’s a bit of Kellaway from the Prime Minister’s XI game back in November…
Peter Roy has emailed in to float an intriguing theory…
I always think it’s an advantage to the batting team when an LBW is overturned for missing. I would think the Umpire will naturally recalibrate on the conservative side for the next on field decision after seeing the replay
If Australia get a few more on the pegs we might find out, Peter. As it stands, only Josh Hazlewood has jagged an LBW today.
The home side’s bowlers have thrown the usual six-demon bags – bouncers, cutters, duffers, seamers – but only have two skinny wickets to show for it. Instead, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (65*) and Taskin Ahmed (12*) have piled on 45 runs for the ninth wicket, rotating the strike and mixing aggression with caution.
It’s been brilliant from Bangladesh and ordinary from Australia. Will it continue after the break?
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LUNCH: Bangladesh 417-8 (Miraz 65*, Taskin 12*)
What a session for Bangladesh. They now lead by 219 runs and still have two wickets in hand, having piled on 66 runs for the loss of two batters this morning.
Josh Hazlewood was the only Australian bowler to taste Bangladeshi blood (twice) but his comrades were all held at bay with curious ease as Mehidy Miraz inches his team within sight of a historic victory with a stoic and undefeated 66.
Having finished Day Two with a dropped catch by Cameron Green on the final ball of the day, Australia dropped another two chances this morning. This time it was Steve Smith grassing a sitter and Travis Head fumbling a tough chance at full pelt.
This Test is turning into the Darwin debacle for the home side. No Australian team has EVER chased down a 200+ lead. Dwell on that as you take your lunch. We’ll be back in halfa.
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133rd over: Bangladesh 417-8 (Miraz 65, Taskin 12) This will be the final over before lunch and Green will bowl it. The under-siege allrounder is wicketless from his nine overs so far. Can he jag a heart-starter for his side before the break? Not if Miraz has anything to say about it. With one eye on the buffet, he ignores a couple of easy singles and then hoiks a wonderful six over the fine leg fence to prolong the pain for Australia and send them to the interval to dine on humble pie.
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132nd over: Bangladesh 411-8 (Miraz 59, Taskin 12) Australia’s captain keeps himself in the attack but No 10 Taskin Ahmed drops it at his feet and scampers a single. Now a new low as Pat Cummins throws down a 105kph duffer which hits the edge of the pitch and dribbles within a whisker of off stump. Now Cummins tosses a 103kph cutter into the mix. Bizarre cricket.
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131st over: Bangladesh 409-8 (Miraz 58, Taskin 11) Lunch can’t come soon enough for Australia. They are falling apart in Darwin. Cameron Green is into the attack but Miraz continues on his merry way by caressing another two runs to deep extra cover. This ninth-wicket partnership is now worth 37 runs.
130th over: Bangladesh 407-8 (Miraz 56, Taskin 11) Strange days in Darwin. We are still a few months from the Build-up that afflicts the Top End – extreme heat, heavy humidity, and the peculiar pre-monsoon cabin fever they call “Going Troppo”. But it has arrived early for the Australian cricket team. Those two dropped catches in the last over make it six for the innings and the cold fact is they are getting mauled by a cricketing minnow on their home deck. Miraz clobbers Lyon for another three runs to take the lead to 209.
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129th over: Bangladesh 404-8 (Miraz 53, Taskin 11) Crazy shot! A blind hook by Taskin but it still flies over backward square for FOUR. Australia’s captain is being humbled by a tail-ender. Now it gets worse, much worse, as Taskin tonks high and Steve Smith drops a sitter in the outfield! Ye gads, this is awful cricket by Australia. When Smith is dropping catches something is seriously amiss. Miraz gets in on the party, top-edging down the ground. Head turns and chases, gets a hand on it but again it goes down. Two dropped catches in the over!
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128th over: Bangladesh 398-8 (Miraz 52, Taskin 6) Nathan Lyon enters his 28th over with the humbling figures of 1-93. He delivers a maiden but with Bangladesh 200 ahead and about to hit 400, Australia are looking increasingly downcast.
127th over: Bangladesh 398-8 (Miraz 52, Taskin 6) Cummins’ eighth spell of the innings continues. These are big overs for Australia’s bowlers and fatigue may come back to bite them. Taskin taps a single to prolong the pain and Miraz cuts deftly past gully to take Bangladesh’s lead to 200. What an effort this is by the No 9 Test nation in the world against the ICC champions.
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126th over: Bangladesh 396-8 (Miraz 51, Taskin 5) Cries of “CATCHIT!” but Taskin’s wild slash has cleared the slips cordon and run away for four. After 13 balls in half-an-hour he’s finally off the mark. He celebrates by taking Starc’s 143.4kph whizzer off his toes for a single. Australia spread the field for Miraz but he times a fuller ball beautifully to steal two runs down the ground. That’s a very valuable half century by Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
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Summary
125th over: Bangladesh 388-8 (Miraz 49, Taskin 0) Pat Cummins takes the ball back in a bid to capture these final two wickets and keep Bangladesh’s lead under 200. Instead, he oversteps and Miraz steps back to dink him over gully for two runs. It takes the lead to 185. Cummins’ sixth ball is a wide. His seventh is a long way outside off stump and Miraz feasts, swinging hard and smashing it high and long over point for a FOUR.
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124th over: Bangladesh 380-8 (Miraz 43, Taskin 0) Taskin still can’t get off the mark. He steps out to cover drive Lyon but a brilliant dive by the fielder saves the runs and turns the screws. It’s a maiden.
123rd over: Bangladesh 380-8 (Miraz 43, Taskin 0) After a quick drink break to combat the 30+ heat, Starc returns. Miraz steps back to give himself room to go over the top but Starc blazes it past the edge. Now there’s a half-hearted appeal down the leg side as Miraz prods at a ball on his hip. Starc is confident enough so Cummins will review. But there’s a gap between bat and ball so Australia’s final review goes up in smoke.
122nd over: Bangladesh 380-8 (Miraz 43, Taskin 0) Pat Cummins says: ‘Come in spinner!’ and throws Nathan Lyon into the fray. The GOAT starts day three with 1-92 from 26 overs so far. Miraz is protecting his partner from the strike but he clips one off his pads from the fifth to take Bangladesh’s lead to 182.
121st over: Bangladesh 379-8 (Miraz 42, Taskin 0) The Darwin locals are drifting into the Marrara Cricket Ground and the Rioli grandstand is starting to bubble away nicely. As the Top End’s mercury starts to rise so does Mitchell Starc’s speed. He hits 140.2kph with his third delivery as Mehidy Miraz backs away and cuts to deep point without a run. Next ball is even faster at 140.7kph. Starc puts his last ball way down legside to get taskin on strike but Miraz is good enough to get a toe end of his bat on it and run a single to fine leg.
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120th over: Bangladesh 378-8 (Miraz 41, Taskin 0) Hazlewood returns, looking for yet another five-for. Instead, Mehidy Miraz pulls hard and catches a big top edge which flies over Alex Carey for a boundary. He adds a single from the fifth with a lovely late cut. Bangladesh now lead by 180 runs.
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119th over: Bangladesh 373-8 (Miraz 36, Taskin 0) Taskin Ahmed is the new batter. The 31-year-old paceman is in his 20th Test and averaging a tick over 11 with a highest score of 75. That record is not enough to earn a look at Mitchell Starc as Miraz turns down an easy single on the first ball to shield his partner. Now he takes the run and Taskin survives the last two deliveries.
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WICKET! Taijul c Green b Hazlewood 17 (372-8)
Green catches that one and Hazlewood has his fourth wicket! Taijul’s brief but entertaining innings ends and suddenly Australia look a chance to finish their foes before they hit 400.
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Key event
118th over: Bangladesh 372-7 (Miraz 35, Taijul 17) Bang! Taijul has lifted the first ball of Hazlewood’s 24th over off his pads and over the fence for SIX. That’s Bangladesh’s third maximum for the innings as this rearguard action extends the lead to 174.
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117th over: Bangladesh 366-7 (Miraz 35, Taijul 11) Mitchell Starc swaggers into the attack. He has 2-68 from his 21 overs so far. Taijul slashes hard and square but can’t pierce the field. In fact, Marnus Labuschagne has his arm aloft and appears to be claiming a catch. Starc just laughs and goes back to his mark but the umpires will check. Sure enough, replays show the balls smashed straight into the turf off the bat. Starc stifles his smirk and turns it into a snarl as he crashes a rising ball into Mehidy’s gloves. Ouch!
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116th over: Bangladesh 365-7 (Miraz 35, Taijul 10) This Bangladesh innings has now lasted longer than any of England’s innings in the Ashes series last summer. Extraordinary. And now Taijul lashes Hazlewood’s first ball through the covers for three. The 34-year-old has 10 runs from his 11 deliveries so far. Quite the statement of intent. Miraz tries to heave hook the last ball of the over out into the Marrara’s back-blocks but misses.
115th over: Bangladesh 360-7 (Miraz 34, Taijul 6) Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is the new batter for Bangladesh. He snuck a single from Hazlewood’s final ball to keep strike and now the 60-Test veteran faces Pat Cummins… and flays Australia’s captain to the boundary! Lovely cut shot for a tailender averaging just over 10. Taijul taps a single from the last.
WICKET! Mahmud lbw Hazlewood 14 (Bangladesh 354-7)
Australia strike and it’s Josh Hazlewood doing the job with a beautiful seaming delivery that caught Mahmud on a leg stump line. That’s the breakthrough. Can the home side go on with it?
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114th over: Bangladesh 354-6 (Miraz 33, Mahmud 14) There’s a lot of cameras trained on Australian allrounder Cameron Green today. He finished day two with a dropped catch from the last ball of the day to cap off a calamitous afternoon for his side. Hazlewood follows four dots with a ducking ball that thunders into Mahmud’s pads. Umpire says OUT! DRS says…
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113th over: Bangladesh 354-6 (Miraz 34, Mahmud 14) Bangladesh now lead by 154 runs as Cummins enters his 22nd over. Mahmud plays a straight bat to the first one and ducks the second. The allrounder only has 13 runs but he’s lasted 80+ balls and for a 26-year-old in his 16th Test, this shapes as a career-defining innings. He adds another run to his tally.
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112th over: Bangladesh 352-6 (Miraz 33, Mahmud 13) Josh Hazlewood will partner his captain with the opening spells of day three. The Bendemeer Bullet has been the pick of the bowlers so far with 2-68 from his 20 overs. Today he starts by sliding one past the shoulder of Mehidy’s bat. Gorgeous ball. And now Hazlewood goes one better, catching the inside pad. A huge appeal for LBW. Umpire says OUT but Bangladesh will go to the skies for a second opinion… NOT OUT! It seamed too far in the end, just missing leg stump. Early disappointment for the home side but that movement offers encouragement. Mehidy sneaks a single but a strong start by Australia’s pacemen.
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111th over: Bangladesh 351-6 (Miraz 32, Mahmud 13) Pat Cummins has the ball for the first over. He starts the day with 1-50. Today represents one of the biggest challenges of his captaincy career but he is right on target so far and his third ball is a 132kph pearl, straight as an arrow and beating Mahmud all ends up. It’s a maiden.
Jake Weatherald’s mum is on the TV talking about her son’s early days in Darwin and outing her son as an avowed naturist (at least in childhood). Her boy got himself into the 20s yet again on Day One, looking good without kicking on. The nuggety opener is now averaging just 22 from his first six Tests and is yet to better the 72 he slashed at the Gabba last summer. With a host of young pups knocking on the door, the almost 32-year-old desperately needs a big score today.
For now, it’s Bangladesh with the bat. Here they come now …
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This Darwin wicket has been a bit of a surprise packet but many pundits are picking today as the best day for batting. If that prediction bears out, will the visitors cash in by extending their lead or will the Australians make hay when it’s their time to bat?
With a long hot summer predicted for Australia, the UK’s drought-affected venues could be a taste of what’s to come.
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As Australia faces the heat here in Darwin, England’s cricketers are in a heatwave of their own, with returning captain Joe Root about to kick off their post-Bazball future next week with a three-Test series against Pakistan.
For those who came in late, here’s a wrap of Day Two…
Preamble
Greetings cricket lovers. Welcome to day three of the first Test between Australia and Bangladesh in Darwin. And what a fascinating day it promises to be. The boys in the baggy green caps are on the ropes and looking increasingly rattled, as Bangladesh push hard for a historic first victory in Australia.
The Tigers are now a whopping 153 runs ahead with four wickets still in hand after 25-year-old Tanzid Hasan Tamim clobbered a majestic 101 from 197 balls to become the first Bangladesh player to notch a ton on Australian soil. He was given plenty of help by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (84), Mominul Haque (49) and Mushfiqur Rahim (36) as the visitors surged to an imperious 351 for 6 at stumps.
Australia endured a torrid day in the Darwin heat, dropping yet more catches and watching their legendary pace cartel spanked to all corners of the Marrara Cricket Ground. As the visitors cantered to their commanding lead, the home side’s fears and frustrations bubbled over, with Mitchell Starc involved in a final-hour confrontation with Mehidy Hasan Miraz after the two almost collided mid-pitch during a quick single. Umpires had to step in as Starc snarled “Get off the wicket!” to his rival.
The tantrum was just another sign of the deep trouble Australia find themselves in. Pat Cummins’ men have been thoroughly outplayed in this Test. First, they were humiliated with the bat as young Hasan Mahmud tore through them with 6 for 55 to send them packing for a feeble first-innings total of 198. Yesterday they were given a lesson in Test batting as Bangladesh powered into ascendancy with soft hands and quick runs, showing batting technique and match tactics their esteemed rivals should envy.
Today brings a reckoning for Australia’s XI. Careers hang in the balance with the underperforming Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green all needing runs or face the axe. Can Postman Pat and his wrecking crew bowling squad crash through the Tigers’ tail and keep the visitors under a lead of 200? And if so, will the home side’s brittle top order step up with the same smart and mature batting their opposition have shown? Either way, today is moving day and history beckons.
First ball is at 10am ACST / 10.30am AEST so batten ‘em down and buckle ‘em up because this could be a monumental day of Test cricket.
