Key events
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 …
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.
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?
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.