Key events
Day two report
double quotation markA maiden Test century by Tanzid Hasan has given Bangladesh a 153-run lead against an Australian side that were forced to use eight bowlers in Darwin. In just his second Test match, the 25-year-old left-hander’s brilliant 101 put the Tigers in position to push for what would be their greatest win in long-form cricket.
There is still a long way to go, but Bangladesh went to stumps on day two at 351 for 6 after recovering from a mini-collapse of 3 for 11 when Australia took the second new ball.
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Geoff Lemon
A six-wicket haul on the first day for Hasan Mahmud, then a century for Tanzid Hasan. The emerging players of this side are taking the spotlight.
Where does that leave us? A deficit of up to 200 is surmountable on a pitch that is getting easier for batting, and a Bangladesh side nervous about the prospect of winning could be liable to collapse in the fourth innings, so don’t count any chickens yet.
But this is already a great chance for Bangladesh to push for a win against Australia, something that I’m confident that nobody thought likely on Australian home soil.
That’s it from us, we’ll be back tomorrow.
ShareBangladesh lead by 153 after Day 2
Another stunning day from Bangladesh. The first day could have been a flash in the pan, but the way their upper order batted from the morning, with discipline and control, was such a credit to those players. Test touring is tough at the best of times, and so much more so for players who have never had the chance to play in these conditions.
For a minute there, after losing five sessions in a row, it looked like Australia had won the sixth, but that burst of middle order wickets ended up being brief, and the 43-run partnership between the unbeaten pair brought things back their way.
110th over: Bangladesh 351-6 (Mehidy 32, Hasan 13) Last over of the day, Labuschagne still bumping bumping, and Mehidy hooks to fine leg but declines the single. Doesn’t want the less capable Hasan getting out before tomorrow. Reverse nightwatchman.
Now the last ball of the day… is dropped! Oh, my word. Outside off stump, Mehidy tries to cover it off, and it flies off the open blade to gully where Green is quite close. He’s low, hands low, the ball goes straight into them, and somehow then down into the ground!
What a miss.
109th over: Bangladesh 351-6 (Mehidy 32, Hasan 13) Lyon comes back. You’ll never guess how it goes. Mehidy, block block single. Hasan, block block block.
Niall Connolly writes in, about Australia’s tour of Bangladesh in 2017.
“I was a 5 year ‘southerner blow in’ in Darwin and remember watching this enthralling contest play out at the Hotel Darwin in 2017 – just edged by magnificent Bangladesh. I wonder can Australia turn this contest into something equally nail biting?”
They had a good one in Fatullah 2006 as well – Bangers led by 158 on the first dig before Australia snuck home.
108th over: Bangladesh 350-6 (Mehidy 31, Hasan 13) More Labuschagne, who bowls more bluff balls than bouncers to begin with. Mehidy nicks a fuller one past the keeper. They have a regulation slip and a fly slip almost directly behind him.
The 350 is up, and the lead to 152.
107th over: Bangladesh 349-6 (Mehidy 30, Hasan 13) The pattern holds! Each over, Mehidy faces a few, takes a single, Hasan absorbs the rest. Cummins hits him on the pad, but the ball is initially headed down leg before ricocheting the other way towards gully.
106th over: Bangladesh 348-6 (Mehidy 29, Hasan 13) Desperation stakes once more for Australia, Labuschagne back for more bouncers. Mehidy takes on one of them, fine leg for one. Will Hasan lose his focus and do something daft? These ploys can be hypnotic for certain batters. Not this time.
105th over: Bangladesh 347-6 (Mehidy 28, Hasan 13) Cummins is so often the one to break stands when there’s not much happening. He’s back here hoping for another instance. Lovely bowling straight up, good seam position, slightly scrambling but not more than a few degrees in either direction, and deviating off a good length. It’s a big test for Hasan, after Mehidy does take the early single. Hasan passes it, 63 balls faced now.
104th over: Bangladesh 346-6 (Mehidy 27, Hasan 13) Mehidy happy to take the single early in Webster’s over. Webster tries the short ball, Hasan tries the uppercut, and after a scratch on the toe of the bat, the ball lands just short of Carey behind the stumps.
103rd over: Bangladesh 345-6 (Mehidy 26, Hasan 13) Starc to continue, and Mehidy drives him for four! Lovely cover drive to the overpitched delivery. A single to deep point could follow, but this time Mehidy decides to keep strike himself. And a bit of argy-bargy, Starc is starting to lose his temper! Mehidy blocks him away through point and Hasan says yes, dashes a single, meaning that Mehidy is in a rush, and he goes straight down the middle of the pitch. Starc complains, Mehidy points to where Starc was standing at the edge of the strip and suggests, was I supposed to run five extra metres going around you? No, I went the direct route. “Get off the wicket,” snaps back Starc. Umpire involved. Interesting!
102nd over: Bangladesh 340-6 (Mehidy 21, Hasan 13) Cummins is tired of Hasan facing Lyon, so he gets Green on. No, wait, Webster, wrong skyscraper. There’s not much happening for him, plonking down an over that concedes a single, and there’s some very diffident body language as Webster wanders back to get his hat from the umpire. The partnership will reach 100 balls when the next over starts, and the lead is 142.
101st over: Bangladesh 339-6 (Mehidy 20, Hasan 13) Ricochet off Labuschagne at slip, third ball of the over, and Mehidy perhaps automatically runs the single. Not sure if he wanted to let Hasan face Starc. The No8 doesn’t look too flash trying to uppercut a short ball, but does pick up two runs off his pads.
100th over: Bangladesh 336-6 (Mehidy 19, Hasan 11) Another minor milestone, 100 overs batted, and less than 45 minutes to go in the day. Mehidy adds a couple of runs flicking Lyon through the leg side and another knocking him towards point. Hasan goes to deep point from the last ball of the over, but Mehidy decides not to take his partner’s single with Starc to bowl the next over.
99th over: Bangladesh 333-6 (Mehidy 16, Hasan 11) Starc comes back, big angle across Mehidy first ball. Bangladesh won’t mind the slow scoring, they’ll also see the value in forcing Australia to keep bowling. Another spell for the premier quick, another over in the field. At this rate they might even make it through 50 more minutes to stumps, which would give their bowlers another hour’s rest. Well, their best bowler from the first innings is out there batting, but it’s still probably easier than running in.
Starc is in the 130s in this over, hasn’t yet cranked the dial up. Mehidy is leaving wherever possible, defending when not. Gets the pressure-reliever on the hip and deflects it fine for a run.
98th over: Bangladesh 332-6 (Mehidy 15, Hasan 11) Lyon around the wicket now to this right-handed pair, looking to straighten one down the line. Does straighten several, but he meets a defensive blade six more times from Hasan, who has now faced 46 balls.
97th over: Bangladesh 332-6 (Mehidy 15, Hasan 11) Haven’t seen much from Green that has tested the batters, they both have a look this over and find a run eventually.
96th over: Bangladesh 330-6 (Mehidy 14, Hasan 10) Single first ball now, with Lyon the bowler, and Mehidy takes one down the ground. Hasan has held back for a long time now, and finally needs to have a go at one. Outside the off stump, and he lumps it over cover for four! Then is nearly bowled by one that creeps past his off stump.
Lyon still just the one wicket, 1 for 88 from 21, so he’s going at about four an over. Carey tries to change that by insisting on a DRS review, but it shows that the bat brushed the flap of the back pad just before the ball went past bat. Excellent decision by Dick Illingworth.
The Bangladesh lead is 132.
95th over: Bangladesh 325-6 (Mehidy 13, Hasan 6) Drinks break, then Mehidy manages his shepherding well, whether that’s his intention or not. Defends, ducks a bouncer from Green, and takes a single fifth ball of the over.
94th over: Bangladesh 324-6 (Mehidy 12, Hasan 6) The scoring has ground to a near halt. First gear. A single for Mehidy from Lyon, and Hasan blocks the rest. Bangers are 126 runs to the good.
Patrick O’Brien picks up the theme. “Gotta love Bangball. It’s gonna save Test Cricket!”
I’m not sure that will get past the nomenclature board, Pat, but we’ll see.
93rd over: Bangladesh 323-6 (Mehidy 11, Hasan 6) It feels about a million years ago that Cam Green last bowled, but the world’s largest kindergartner is finally back. No bouncer plan this time, he hits a length looks for movement with the still slightly new ball. Hasan plays out the over without scoring, and that’s 27 balls faced now for him, doing a job.
Updated at 02.49 EDT
92nd over: Bangladesh 323-6 (Mehidy 11, Hasan 6) Lyon is back, with the express purpose, I would suggest, of making Hasan Mahmud have a swing. He doesn’t though, plays forward responsibly until the fourth ball, when Mehidy calls him through for a sharp run off the outside half. With two balls to come in the over, Mehidy can’t do much.
Updated at 02.49 EDT
91st over: Bangladesh 322-6 (Mehidy 11, Hasan 5) All of Mehidy’s runs have been scored beyond the cordon, just about. Four more here, thrown bat, Hazlewood’s delivery flies up and over.
Updated at 02.49 EDT
90th over: Bangladesh 318-6 (Mehidy 7, Hasan 5) Ninety overs faced by Bangladesh, another milestone on their way. Hasan still not looking a very convincing No8, but he does the job of getting through the over. Bangladesh at 120 ahead have a very useful lead, but their middle order bats have blown the chance to turn it into a securely match-winning one.
89th over: Bangladesh 318-6 (Mehidy 7, Hasan 5) The senior batter is happy to take a single, after which Hasan plays a reasonable looking shot, nudging Hazlewood off the pads.
88th over: Bangladesh 316-6 (Mehidy 6, Hasan 4) The lower-order man does his first job, which is to survive a full over from Pat Cummins. Edges one, misses one, leaves a few. What can Mehidy do at the other end?
87th over: Bangladesh 316-6 (Mehidy 6, Hasan 4) Mehidy realises the need to chase some runs here, as the last proper bat in the conversation, and chases width from Starc to slash four through the cordon gap. Five dots to follow, Starc bowling the sixth ball very wide of off stump to keep him off strike.
86th over: Bangladesh 312-6 (Mehidy 2, Hasan 4) Bowled well on Day 1, did Hasan Mahmud, but not much of a batting record to suggest that he should be a No8 in Test cricket. It doesn’t say much for the 9, 10, and 11. But he adds a boundary to Bangladesh’s score, not very intentionally, just trying to keep Cummins out and edging him through the cordon.
The chase and chase alike between Smith and Joe Root in the stats column continues, with Smith now catching Root again on 218 Test catches. He went past Root during the Ashes, then Root went top again while playing New Zealand. It’ll continue for a while, you’d think, but Root will play for longer in the end. He’s already taken many more matches than Smith for their current shared tally.
ShareWICKET! Mushfiqur c Smith b Cummins 36, Bangladesh 308-6
Finally, Australia get a run on! Cummins with his trademark length, and it’s slightly wide of off-stump but so often he angles the ball in from there. This one holds its line. Mushfiqur thinks of playing, thinks of leaving, and with the bat halfway between the two, runs the ball almost off the face of the bat while halfway down from its backlift. Smith hurls himself across to his right and holds the deflection.
Steve Smith celebrates after catching Mushfiqur Rahim during the first Test between Australia and Bangladesh. Photograph: James Ross/AAPShare
Updated at 02.25 EDT
85th over: Bangladesh 307-5 (Mushfiqur 36, Mehidy 1) So here is Australia’s chance, they might now keep that deficit to 130, 140, 150, and have a shot at getting back into the game with a big third innings. Need to dislodge one more though: Mushfiqur playing well, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz fresh off a ton in the tour game. The latter gets a single first ball.
Updated at 02.14 EDT
WICKET! Litton Das c Smith b Starc 0, Bangladesh 306-5
The first Bangladeshi in this innings to fail with the bat, the injured keeper goes in simple Starc style: angle across the right-hander, a drive at a ball that isn’t full enough, and a nick to second slip.
Mitchell Starc celebrates after taking the wicket of Litton Das in Darwin. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 02.27 EDT
84th over: Bangladesh 306-4 (Mushfiqur 36, Litton 0) Another boundary for Mushy, throwing the bat outside off stump and sending a Hazlewood length ball through the air behind point.
83rd over: Bangladesh 300-4 (Mushfiqur 30, Litton 0) Mushy won’t go into his shell, driving Starc through the off side for three. Litton defends the rest of the over.
82nd over: Bangladesh 297-4 (Mushfiqur 27, Litton 0) Four byes down leg to start the over, then a no-ball, suggested Hazlewood rust, but he got the WD40 onto it quickly and slid Shanto out of the game. Litton Das is next in.
ShareWICKET! Shanto c Smith b Hazlewood 84, Bangladesh 297-4
The new ball does the trick. As so often before. Extra bounce, Shanto just trying to defend, but Hazlewood seeks out the edge and finds it, and second slip is staffed by the most prolific catch-taker in Australian history, SPD Smith.
Josh Hazlewood celebrates after dismissing Najmul Hossain Shant on day two of the first Test in Darwin. Photograph: James Ross/AAP/APShare
Updated at 02.23 EDT
81st over: Bangladesh 290-3 (Shanto 82, Mushfiqur 27) Swing, batter batter! Swing for Starc from the first ball, the new Kooka swerving away from the left-handed Shanto at a yorker length, missing off stump. Even Starc is surprised by the movement. Similar next ball, though Shanto squeezes it out into the off side to get away from strike. Mushfiqur doesn’t get anything as full, and is able to some balls angled across him as a right-hander without worrying about it swinging back.
80th over: Bangladesh 289-3 (Shanto 81, Mushfiqur 27) Last over with the old ball. Mitchell Starc warming up. Lyon bowls a quiet over, just the Shanto single, though Mushfiqur plays a few restrained shots that find the field.
79th over: Bangladesh 288-3 (Shanto 80, Mushfiqur 27) Oh, good grief. We’re starting after tea with the Labuschagne bouncer plan. That represents a team out of ideas. Australia’s first drop is thumping in medium pace halfway down the deck and hoping the batters do something stupid. Is that the best option straight off a break? You decide.
Two singles from it, Bangladesh lead by 90.
“I’ll say what we’re all thinking,” writes Rowan Sweeney. “I feel lucky to have the privilege of watching this Bangladesh side play cricket.”
Can’t tell if that’s genuine or a dig at England, but either will do. Plenty of digs possible at Australia, who need a withering new-ball burst to stay in this game. What a sentence to write. Darwin!
Just before stumps last night I had this email from Nick Inatey.
“Has there been another time since Boxing Day 2010 when England bowled Australia out for double digits and then ended the day 0/157 that Australia have been so outplayed by an opposition on day 1?”
And I think the answer is… no? Extend that to five sessions and it might be yes. To explain, in order to assess a team as having been dominated, they need to have batted and bowled. Having the visitors bat first for five sessions and rack up a big score doesn’t mean that the home side won’t respond in kind, so you need to have seen both disciplines.
Which generally means the home team needs to bat first and not make many. Hobart 2016 is the most obvious example, all out 85, but at least after three sessions Australia had taken wickets as well, and was a chance to keep the deficit vaguely within reach. After five sessions they were stuffed, as South Africa had a late-order batting rally.
But here, Bangladesh have bossed each session so far.
ShareAustralia are getting thumped by Bangladesh
Five sessions in, and five sessions won by the visitors – this has been an absolutely wonderful performance from a team that is defying the odds to be able to do what they’ve done. The early wicket yesterday was followed by a century stand. The breaking of that stand was very nearly followed by another. A second-gamer in a makeshift spot as opener has peeled off a ton, but it’s not just that, everyone else has made runs around him, and his dismissal didn’t spark a slide. The captain will now have half an eye on a century of his own, and the veteran at the other end is providing calm support.
New ball due soon after tea, so that will be key. At five sessions, Australia still have a path back into this match if they can keep the deficit to about 150. If they lose six sessions on the bounce, different story.
Najmul Hossain Shanto pulls for four during the first Test between Australia and Bangladesh. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 02.14 EDT
78th over: Bangladesh 286-3 (Shanto 79, Mushfiqur 26) Turn things to your advantage! Mushfiqur’s lack of height works for him. Lyon’s ball isn’t that short, in fact it’s below bail height at the point of contact, but some width allows Mushy to get low and absolutely lace his cut shot behind point. He goes again for a single, and that will be the last score before tea.
77th over: Bangladesh 281-3 (Shanto 79, Mushfiqur 21) Meanwhile Head is bowling with great economy, Bangladesh risking nothing against him.
76th over: Bangladesh 279-3 (Shanto 78, Mushfiqur 20) Ooh, tries to repeat the dose against Lyon, does Shanto. Doesn’t get hold of his shot this time, and instead hits it high into the deep for three runs to deep mid. You don’t want to hole out minutes before tea, skipper. That shot comes after Mushfiqur has slog-swept Lyon in front of square for four. Lyon’s last three overs have gone 9, 8, 10.
75th over: Bangladesh 269-3 (Shanto 75, Mushfiqur 13) Travis Head has a bowl, which means that Captain Cummins is feeling the pitch. He launches into a huge crowd-catch celebration as a half volley is hit back to him! Always looking to have a good time, T. Head. After that, Mushy knocks him down the ground for an easy run. No risks from Bangers against Head, who can be a danger bowling. This partnership nearing 50.
74th over: Bangladesh 268-3 (Shanto 75, Mushfiqur 12) Cat and mouse here. Lyon comes over the wicket to the left-hander, hoping to put some questions in Shanto’s mind, and Shanto plays a reverse sweep against the ball outside leg and misses. Straighter ball, blocked. Outside leg, reverse again, this time smothering the ball just after it bounces and getting it past backward point for two. Straighter, defended. Then Shanto says, I ain’t no mouse, friend. Thunders down the pitch and Exocets that ball wayyyy over midwicket!
73rd over: Bangladesh 260-3 (Shanto 67, Mushfiqur 12) Without much on offer, Hazlewood is just bowling stump to stump, hoping to keep things dry after a glimpse of monsoon season. It works, keeping Shanto to a single.
72nd over: Bangladesh 259-3 (Shanto 66, Mushfiqur 12) Shot, Shanto. Fetches the sweep show from well outside off stump, but knows there is nobody fine behind square leg, and searches for that gap, getting the ball around the clockface. Aerial but safe, and four. Two through cover to follow. Changes strike, Mushfiqur sweeps two, the runs coming with ease against the old ball. Nine from the over.
71st over: Bangladesh 250-3 (Shanto 59, Mushfiqur 10) One was pondering whether Australia needed to get one of the main quicks on with a new player in and 14 overs to the new ball, and when that count reduces to 10 overs to go, Cummins makes the move. Hazlewood comes on for Webster. Nothing happening off this surface. The Bangladeshis play straight and pick up a few singles. They lead by 52.
70th over: Bangladesh 247-3 (Shanto 57, Mushfiqur 9) Another classy stroke from Mushy, starts with the skip down to Lyon and finishes with the ball at the cover rope.
69th over: Bangladesh 243-3 (Shanto 57, Mushfiqur 5) First ball of the over sits up, and Shanto doesn’t play the most elegant shot but does drag it away through mid on for four. He decides that’s enough risk for the over, leaving everything alone with Alex Carey just behind the left-hander’s left shoulder, keeping up to the stumps for Webster.
68th over: Bangladesh 239-3 (Shanto 53, Mushfiqur 5) Lyon has waited eight months to take Test wicket #538, and now he goes on with his work. A single.
67th over: Bangladesh 238-3 (Shanto 52, Mushfiqur 5) The confidence! Webster is bowling his mediums, and the diminutive Mushfiqur Rahim strides forward and nails a cover drive to the boundary! Lovely start, for a player who has waited since his debut in 2005 for his team to be invited to play in Australia.