Australia is staring down the barrel of just a second ever Test defeat to Bangladesh, and a first on home soil after several soft batting dismissals on Day 3 in Darwin.
Bangladesh was eventually bowled out for 426, with Josh Hazlewood taking six wickets to pass the 300-wicket milestone, but it was another dominant day for the visitors.
Watch every ball of Australia vs Bangladesh Test Series live and ad-break free during play with Fox Cricket on Kayo | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Cameron Green was unbeaten on 44 at stumps with Alex Carey 19 not out — Australia still trails by 67 runs will be hoping to set Bangladesh a tricky fourth innings chase.
But Australia’s top order has again come under scrutiny with Jake Weatherald out for a duck and Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne losing their wickets in “soft dimissals”, according to Mark Waugh.
“Marnus just missed a half volley,” Alyssa Healy said on Kayo Sports.
There’s no way Marnus would have missed that ball a couple of years ago. That’s just the pressure building,” Waugh said.
Bangladesh have outplayed Australia in every session of the Test so far and look set to claim a victory, which Adam Gilchrist said would be a “huge result which would send shudders around the cricket world”.
Australia’s previous defeat to Bangladesh came in 2017, losing by 20 runs.
5.05pm – Smith out, Aussies on the ropes
Steve Smith is out for 44, misjudging a delivery from spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who took a solid catch off his own bowling when the Aussie chipped the ball back towards him.
It’s just the fifth time Smith has been dismissed caught and bowled in his career.
“Was there a little bit of complacency from Steve Smith?” Mark Waugh said on Kayo Sports.
“I’m not sure there was, but nothing’s really been happening off the surface
“That one might have just held up enough…and a nice sharp chance by Mahidi, and is that the game just there? It’s a big moment.”
The Australians still trail by more than 100 runs and need Alex Carey and Cameron Green to dig in to avoid an innings defeat.
4:48pm (AEST) – Steve Smith injury concern
Australia’s best batsman today Steve Smith is lying down on the field receiving treatment for an apparent injury.
He had just started to find his flow but appears to be in some discomfort.
A drinks break allows him time to wave the physio on field and he receives medical attention for a possible back problem.
3:49pm (AEST) – Aussies in trouble as Marnus Labuschagne bowled
Just as an Aussie partnership was beginning to make ground Taijul Islam strikes and bowls Labuschagne.
The spinner turns up the heat with a quicker ball and Labuschagne has no answer.
The yorker catches him out and sparks huge cheers from Bangladesh – they know it’s a massive wicket, one that does their chances of winning the world of good.
2:39pm (AEST): Travis Head dismissed
Labuschagne looked the more vulnerable of the pair after surviving two scares, including a dropped catch.
But it is Head who falls first in almost identical circumstances to Weatherald, hitting the ball onto his own stumps with Hasan Mahmud getting his second wicket.
It sparks shock from the commentary box with Australia in a lot of bother.
“This is extraordinary. I’ve never seen that in all my cricketing career,” said Adam Gilchrist on Fox Sports.
“A batsman so disappointed but turns around and sets the stumps back up.
“Whatever the case Bangladesh have their second and they have their tail up.”
1:52pm (AEST): Weatherald gone, Marnus Labuschagne survives golden duck scare
A crazy couple of minutes from Australia as Jake Weatherald knocks the ball onto his own stumps for a duck in just the second over.
“When you’re opening the batting for Australia, you’ve got to be more watertight than that,” Kerry O’Keeffe said on Kayo Sports.
Labuchagne then comes to the crease and survives an almighty scare.
There are huge appeals from Bangladesh as ball meets pad but it hits the Aussie high on his leg and appears to be going over the stumps.
1:30pm (AEST): Bangladesh finally dismissed, Hazlewood stars
Josh Hazlewood has notched up his sixth wicket of the innings as Australia finally sent Bangladesh’s batters off the field for a huge score of 426.
Australia’s batters are now facing a massive uphill battle with Bangladesh leading by 228 runs after the first innings.
Hazlewood finishes the innings with figures of 6/89.
1:15pm (AEST): Hazlewood gets 300th Test wicket
Josh Hazlewood has notched up his 300th Test wicket, dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind for 65 runs.
Australia remain in a disastrous position with Bangladesh 9-418 and holding a lead of 220 runs on Day 3.
That’s despite Hazlewood’s impressive numbers of 5/87.
Hazlewood becomes the ninth Australian to take 300 Test wickets.
12:10pm (AEST) – Steve Smith drops a sitter, called ‘un-Australian’
Wow. How on earth has he dropped that. And Steve Smith of all people too.
Taskin Ahmed swings wildly at the ball and hits it up into the air.
Smith is directly underneath it and has all the time in the world to measure up the catch, yet somehow loses grip of it.
That sums up the Test match for Australia so far.
“Down! My goodness me. Steve Smith of all the people. Quite unbelievable, What would have been the world record of catches in Test match cricket has been put down, “ said Adam Gilchrist.
“It just fell out. There’s been a few rare sightings in this Test match and that’s one of them,” added Alyssa Healey.
“It’s very un-Australian isn’t it, we’ve seen catches go down, we’ve seen us out in the field for 128 overs.
“A lot of talking points that Australia have brought on ourselves.”
11:24am (AEST) – David Warner predicts wicket
Former batsman told Josh Hazelwood exactly what he needed to do to make his second breakthrough of the morning.
Moments before Hazelwood took the wicket of Taijul Islam, Warner had some helpful advice on commentary for Kayo Sports.
“If he is going to bowl short he’s going to have to come in under his ribcage area,” he said.
“I feel like if he hangs it out there, he (Taijul) might throw the kitchen sink and get caught in the slips region.”
Within seconds Hazelwood bowled and Taijul edged the ball straight to Cam Green for Australia’s second wicket of the day.
“Thank you. There you go,” said the former batsman.
You can watch the awesome moment in the video at the top of the page
10:51am (AEST) – Wicket! Mahmud bowled LBW (354-7)
It’s been a fast start from Josh Hazelwood who has been Australia’s most dangerous bowler in this Test match.
It is a perfect line this time and Hasan Mahmud cannot cope with the pace.
The batsman briefly considers an appeal before walking back to the pavilion.
10:57am (AEST) – Bangladesh survive early scare
Australia think they have their first wicket in just the second over of the day through Hazelwood.
The ball hits Mehidy on the pad and after a huge appeal the umpire says out.
But Bangladesh appeal the decision with hawk eye revealing the ball was narrowly missing leg stump.
It’s as you were but a strong start from the Aussie bowlers.
Warner slams Australia strategy
Australia’s first task is to bowl out the Bangladesh lower order, which they threatened to do on Friday.
There was even the prospect of Australia needing to bat out the day, which prompted criticism from David Warner.
“Openers having a nightwatchman is pathetic,” said the former batsman on Kayo Sports.
“It’s a niggly time as an opener too in the outfield when the boys are on a roll.
“You start going ‘Oh, how many hours to go?’
”You count them down, you’re [probably not going to get 26 (overs) in, but there’s 20 at the moment.
”You count them down…and you know when they (the Aussie openers) come out they’re going to be on the defence.
“There’s no gain from going for one or two overs, is there?
“You’re going out there just to wait for the next day, so we talked about openers having a nightwatchman, which I think is pathetic.
”That’s your job as an opening batter. You go out there and face that new ball, regardless of the situation.
“But I reckon half an hour is good.”
Day Two recap:
Tanzid Hasan took the headlines with a brilliant century before his teammate Mehidy Hasan clashed with Mitchell Starc on the wicket.
The Aussie bowler was not happy with the line that Miraz took while running as the pair traded verbals.
You can watch the exchange in the player above.
Starc could then be heard saying: “Get off the wicket,” before he brutally added: “You’re not in Bangladesh now.”