Australia 217 and 109 for 2 (Warner 75*, Smith 25*) need another 156 runs to beat Bangladesh 260 and 221 (Tamim 78, Lyon 6-82)
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Nathan Lyon finished with his fourth-best figures to lead Australia’s fightback © Getty Images
An Asian pitch offering variable bounce. A target in excess of 250. An opponent full of self-belief and ready for a historic victory. This was the scenario that faced Australia on the third afternoon in Mirpur. It called for leadership from Australia’s two senior batsmen and by stumps, David Warner and Steven Smith had shown enough of that to give their side plenty of hope. Work remained, but Australia went to bed with ample self-belief of their own.
It was another day of fluctuating fortunes. Bangladesh began 88 runs in front with nine wickets in hand and before long Australia were down a bowler, Josh Hazlewood having left the field with a sore left side. He would not return for the rest of the innings. There was a half-century from Tamim Iqbal – his second of his 50th Test – and a fighting 41 from Mushfiqur Rahim. But there was also a lower-order collapse of the last five wickets for 35, which kept Australia in the game.
Nathan Lyon was responsible for much of Australia’s fightback, his 6 for 82 the fourth-best analysis of his Test career. He found turn and sharp bounce from the pitch, which simultaneously dragged Australia back into the contest while also sending a worrying message to their batsmen. But chasing 265, Australia worked their way into a good position at stumps, on 109 for 2, with Warner on 75, Smith on 25, and a further 156 runs required.
The surface was far from poor, neither was their work easy. The threat from Bangladesh’s spinners was always there, and accounted for Matt Renshaw, who was lbw for 5 to Mehidy Hasan’s straight ball, and Usman Khawaja, whose miserable Asian run continued when on 1 he swept Shakib Al Hasan and top-edged a catch to deep square leg. At 28 for 2, Bangladesh were firmly on top; by stumps less so.
Warner scored briskly, using his feet on occasions and punishing the bad balls that were offered up. He was given a chance on 14 when his thick edge off Shakib was missed by Soumya Sarkar at slip, and he made Bangladesh pay for the missed opportunity. By stumps, Warner had plundered 11 fours and one six, and the close of play came at a good time for Bangladesh, who must regroup overnight.
David Warner struck a counter-attacking fifty © Getty Images
Bangladesh had started the day in a good position, though a couple of early wickets to Lyon gave Australia hope – nightwatchman Taijul Islam was lbw and Imrul Kayes edged to slip a delivery that bounced sharply and turned. But Tamim remained, and found a useful ally, compiling a 68-run partnership with Mushfiqur that prevented a collapse and ensured Australia’s target would be challenging.
Tamim scored strongly behind square and brought up his half-century from his 109th delivery when he slashed behind point for four off Ashton Agar’s first ball of the day. But as in the first innings, Tamim fell in the seventies, this time for 78 when his gloves kissed a snorting short ball from Pat Cummins that flew through to Matthew Wade, who took the overhead chance.
Mushfiqur had sent a message early in his innings by getting off the mark with a lofted four over mid-on off Lyon, and he followed in Lyon’s next over with a six in a similar region. Curiously, though, they were his only boundaries, as he settled into a more sedate rhythm, before being run-out for 41 in unfortunate fashion, backing up when Sabbir Rahman’s fierce straight drive clipped Lyon’s fingers on the way through to the non-striker’s stumps.
Already Lyon had accounted for Bangladesh’s other most dangerous batsman, Shakib, who was well caught by Cummins at deep cover when he advanced to lift over the top.
Agar chipped in with the wicket of Nasir Hossain, who under-edged and was sharply taken by Wade for a duck, and Sabbir followed in the next over when he was given out caught at short leg off Lyon for 22. Strangely, Sabbir chose not to ask for a review despite replays suggesting the ball had touched neither bat nor gloves, and had bounced up to Peter Handscomb off pad alone.
Lyon finished with the wickets of Shafiul Islam, sharply caught by Handscomb low to the ground at short leg, and Mehidy, who had made a breezy 26 when he skied a chance to Khawaja at deep square leg. It was Lyon’s best second-innings performance in a Test match in Asia, and could yet prove to have been a match-winning one.
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @brydoncoverdale
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo