AUS vs BAN: Hasan Mahmud, Mehidy Hasan Miraz tighten Bangladesh's grip on first Test

Bangladesh further tightened their grip on the first Test against Australia as the hosts finished Day 3 on 161/4, trailing by 67 runs in the second innings at Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin. Cameron Green (43*) and Alex Carey (19*) were at the crease for Australia after Hasan Mahmud (2/33) removed both openers, Travis Head (17) and Jake Weatherald (0), cheaply by shattering their stumps.

Earlier, Bangladesh got all out for 426 in their first innings with Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s (65) tenth half-century, along with some contributions from the tail, guiding their team to a massive 228-run lead. Josh Hazlewood scalped all four wickets to fall for Australia on Day 3 as he completed the milestone of 300 Test wickets. 

Hazlewood claimed his 14th career five-wicket haul after he found the outside edge of Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s bat, which went straight to Alex Carey behind the stumps.

Australia's bowling quartet in 300 club

The right-arm seamer finished with figures of 6/89 in 28 overs, joining teammates Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the Test-300 club. Notably, the quartet is the only bowling attack in the history of the game to play together after claiming 300 wickets each.

Hazlewood became the ninth Australian player to complete 300 Test wickets, reaching the milestone with the fourth-best average (24.02) after Glenn McGrath (21.64), Cummins (22.21) and Dennis Lillee (23.92).

Meanwhile, after Mahmud accounted for both openers in the second innings, taking his tally to eight wickets in the Test match, the responsibility of rescuing Australia once again fell on Steve Smith’s shoulders. He stitched a 36-run stand with Marnus Labuschagne (31 off 59) for the third wicket to calm the nerves in the Australian dressing room.

Mehidy removes Smith on 44

However, Taijul Islam nipped the partnership in the bud by cleaning up Labuschagne’s stumps. Following his dismissal, Smith continued to keep the scoreboard moving at the other end, alongside Cameron Green, with the duo soaking up the pressure with a 49-run partnership.

It was Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s golden arm that made Smith hit one back to him, which he pouched safely and sent Australia’s first-innings top-scorer back into the pavilion on 44, leaving the hosts on 122/4. In the end, an unbeaten 39-run stand between Cameron Green and Alex Carey took Australia to stumps without any more casualties.