Bangladesh bowlers make key breakthroughs
Bangladesh bowlers made significant progress on Day 3 of the Darwin Test, despite favourable batting conditions. They successfully navigated through the Australian top-order, positioning the game in their favour heading into Day 4. Australia concluded the day trailing by 67 runs with six wickets remaining.
The third innings commenced with Australia trailing by 228 runs. Hasan Mahmud, the Bangladesh pacer, once again played a crucial role. Following his performance of 6/55 in the first innings, Mahmud struck twice with the new ball. He bowled Australia’s openers, Jake Weatherald for 0 and Travis Head for 17, providing an early advantage for Bangladesh.
Despite the early setbacks, Marnus Labuschagne, who scored 31, and Steve Smith, with 44 runs, managed to stabilise the innings. They worked to build momentum for Australia and stem the fall of wickets. However, Bangladesh’s spinners, Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, intervened, dismissing both batsmen and further challenging Australia’s position.
Australia’s resistance and key milestones
All-rounder Cameron Green and wicket-keeper Alex Carey then formed a partnership, holding their ground against Bangladesh’s consistent bowling on a pitch that remained good for batting. With Green at 43 not out and Carey on 15, Australia will need a substantial partnership from this duo to avoid defeat.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh’s lower-order extended their lead, pushing it beyond 153 runs to over 200, adding to Australia’s frustrations. Mehidy Hasan Miraz contributed a strong 65 runs, supported by other lower-order batsmen, as Australia sought to take wickets.
Amidst fielding errors, Josh Hazlewood was a standout performer for Australia with the ball. He took an early wicket, dismissing Hasan Mahmud for 14. The right-arm pacer also accounted for the remaining Bangladesh batsmen on the third day, including Miraz. Hazlewood finished with figures of 6/89 and achieved a significant milestone, becoming the ninth Australian to reach 300 Test wickets.
Hazlewood now joins teammates Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Pat Cummins in the 300-wicket club. Among all Australians who have reached this landmark, only Cummins, Glenn McGrath, and Dennis Lillee possess a better bowling average than Hazlewood’s 24.02. Speaking after his achievement, Hazlewood mentioned, “You don’t really think about those sort of milestones when you’re playing. I guess it’s probably something you look back on at the end. But I guess just to see the other names there, and I’m playing with three of them, so yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
Australia, the top-ranked Test nation, found themselves in a challenging position at 161 for four at stumps, still 67 runs behind after Bangladesh’s batters posted 426. The departure of Steve Smith, caught and bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 44, left Australia at 122 for four, intensifying Bangladesh’s celebrations on the Marrara Oval pitch.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, stating, “The way we showed character and played the last two, three days I think is outstanding. So, really happy to see them play like this.” The focus now shifts to Green, whose place in the team has been a topic of discussion since his previous campaign. He and Carey defended well in the final hour, despite the flat pitch offering few challenges.
Looking ahead to Day 4
With six wickets in hand, Australia aims to overcome Bangladesh’s lead and then establish a defendable total for the fourth innings, as the wicket is expected to deteriorate. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will seek to maximise their advantage early on Sunday to secure a historic victory and earn valuable ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 points. The Marrara Oval, located in Australia’s tropical north, has been hot, and Australia’s pace attack appeared fatigued after three consecutive days of play.
A victory scenario that seemed unlikely days ago became a real possibility after tea on Day 3. Bangladesh is now just six wickets away from a potential upset against Australia.
Source: icc-cricket.com
