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Green, Carey keys to Aussies passing Bangladesh Test
Joel Gould, AAP • August 15th, 2026 10:05 pm
Cameron Green and Alex Carey are key to Australia's hopes in the first Test against Bangladesh | Photo: James Ross/AAP
Australia will have to dig themselves out of a huge hole without their best batsman Steve Smith after Bangladesh kept their foot on the hosts' throat in pursuit of an upset Test win in Darwin.
Under-pressure allrounder Cameron Green, who was bailed out by a stroke of luck, was looking composed on an unbeaten 43 at stumps on day three, along with wicketkeeper Alex Carey (19no), as Australia reached 161/4 in their second innings.
The hosts still trail by 67 runs after Bangladesh were dismissed for 426 just after lunch on Saturday.
Australian allrounder Cameron Green rode his luck to be unbeaten at stumps | Photo: James Ross/AAP
Openers Jake Weatherald (0) and Travis Head (17) both chopped on to paceman Hasan Mahmud before tea.
After the break Marnus Labuschagne (31) played all around a half-volley from spinner Taijul Islam. For a set batsman, it was a cardinal error.
Green, on 12, inside-edged Taskin Ahmed for four via his leg stump in a moment of good fortune. Replays showed the ball hit the outside of the stump but the bails stayed on.
Jake Weatherald was dismissed for a third-ball duck as Bangladesh called the shots in Darwin | Photo: James Ross/AAP
The dismissal of Smith (44) was out of character, as he pushed an innocuous delivery from spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz straight back to the bowler.
Australia will have to rewrite the Test history books on home soil if they want to beat Bangladesh, after the visitors took a first-innings lead of 228.
Bangladesh allrounder Mehidy (65) and the tail took the total to 426 all out after lunch on Saturday.
Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood was the shining light with the ball, taking 89/6. The wicket of Mehidy was his 300th in Test cricket as he became the ninth Australian to reach the milestone.
Steve Smith trudges off the ground after being dismissed for 44 in the second innings in Darwin | Photo: James Ross/AAP
The largest first-innings deficit Australia have come back from to win a Test on home soil was 206, when they trailed Pakistan at the SCG in 2010.
On that occasion Michael Hussey made an unbeaten 134 in the second innings and Australia bowled Pakistan out for 176 to win by 36 runs.
Hazlewood said the team would still press for victory.
"Once we tick those (67 runs) off we are still four down hopefully and we can start to build the pressure," he said.
Josh Hazlewood picked up six scalps to take him past the 300 Test wicket milestone | Photo: James Ross/AAP
"I'm not sure how the wicket will play, but it was showing signs of (playing) up and down.
"If we can bat deep into tomorrow and potentially the whole day there is always the opportunity to take 10 wickets on the final day.
"Winning is still in our mind and always is."
Australia's woes in the field were summed up before lunch on Saturday when No. 10 batter Taskin hooked Pat Cummins for four with disdain. Next ball Smith dropped a sitter at deep backward square leg.
Head then spilled a skied pull shot off Mehidy, a difficult chance, to make it five dropped catches for the innings by Australia.
Bangladesh paceman Hasan Mahmud dismissed both of Australia's openers in the second innings | Photo: James Ross/AAP
Mahmud (14) defied the bowlers for 92 deliveries after his brilliant 6/55 in the first innings in a show of batting application the Australians could well heed.
Spinner Taijul Islam (17) took a more aggressive approach, flipping Hazlewood over the square leg boundary before slashing the same bowler to gully, in a handy cameo.
Hazlewood vindicated his selection ahead of the unlucky Scott Boland and was the pick of the Aussie bowlers.
Bangladesh's first-innings lead was set up by a maiden ton for Tanzid Hasan (101) and an aggressive 84 by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Tune into Sport Nation Extra for live and free ball-by-ball commentary of the first Test between Australia and Bangladesh - thanks to SEN Cricket - download the app today on Google Play and the App Store.
