Roar Guru
Bangladesh have defeated Australia for the first time in their Test history with an incredible 20-run victory.
All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was the hero with 10 wickets for the match. He picked up the crucial scalps of David Warner (112), Usman Khawaja (1), Steve Smith (37), Glenn Maxwell (14) and Matthew Wade (4) in a tense day four.
Maxwell’s wicket was a turning point with the Australian falling on the first ball after lunch.
Pat Cummins finished unbeaten on 33 not out but he ran out of partners.
David Warner and Steve Smith led an Australian resurrection on the third day, but will that be enough for them to hold off Bangladesh? Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of Day 4 from 2pm (AEST).
Day 3 belonged to Australia after the two previous days saw the hosts take control.
Bangladesh could have run away with the game by piling on the runs, especially in the absence of Josh Hazlewood. He suffered a side strain and it was later revealed he had been ruled out of the rest of the tour, leaving Australia a bowler short.
Instead, it was Nathan Lyon who took up the gauntlet, picking up six wickets as well as running out captain Mushfiqur Rahim. In the process, he put the hosts in trouble after they had got themselves to 3/135 at one stage.
Even then, a target of 265 was never going to be a cakewalk for the Aussies.
Sure, the Australian side had shown glimpses of a change in their approach in the sub-continent, but their win in Pune against India earlier this year had come batting first. Now, they needed to chase down a solid total on a crumbling pitch.
When Matt Renshaw and Usman Khawaja departed in quick succession and Smith was almost sent back off the first ball he faced, a capitulation looked like it was a near certainty.
But Smith settled himself and shrugged off the early nerves while Warner played what is already one of his best – if not the best – knock in such conditions. Unbeaten on 75, he has scored nearly 70 per cent of his team’s runs and done it by blending attack and defence in equal measure.
Going into the penultimate day, Australia might be the bookmakers’ favourite, but they will know from experience a wicket could lead to many more.
A new batsman might not have it as easy, as has been the case for even an accomplished batsman like Smith, who has mostly played well within himself at the other end.
The first session, as a result, will be the most crucial of the Test match, and if Australia can see themselves through without much damage, they could well be writing another chapter in their history of tough Test match run-chases.
Follow The Roar‘s live coverage of the fourth day of the first Test between Bangladesh and Australia from 2pm (AEST).