Bangladesh v Australia, 2nd Test, Day 3 - 5 Talking points

A sensational batting display from Australia has helped them bolster their command over the second Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong. A gritty hundred from the ever consistent David Warner was backed up by a courageous knock from Peter Handscomb and though the game hasn’t tilted in anyone’s favor, it’s 60-40 for the Kangaroos.

Batting was not getting easy for the Aussies with the temperatures creeping up and above. With the fielders assisting the visitors by grassing few easy chances, they allowed them to get back into the game and this might halt their ambitions of registering their first ever series win against Australia in any format.

It was an eventful day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium with a lot of decisions being reviewed, batters getting some birthday presents and a late flurry of wickets which kept Bangladesh’s hopes of surviving alive. Here are the five talking points of day 3 which sets up beautifully for an action packed day 4. 

1. Bangladesh fall 13 overs short in the day

Hands down the most amusing thing about Day 3 was Bangladesh managing to bowl just 54 overs whilst they had to bowl around 67 overs. The rain gods took charge of the first session of the day and the play resumed directly after lunch, with the match referees deciding that 67 overs will be bowled in the day.

Despite having a baggage of spinners and just one fast bowler, they fell 13 overs short of the threshold. Their skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was strangled in quite a predicament with the Aussie batsmen showing such great perseverance. Though his bowlers did pull something back in their favor, the match referees will take note of this incident.

2. Sensational effort from Peter Handscomb

Peter Handscomb had a horrid time in the middle whilst coping with the adverse weather conditions. The subcontinent climate is always a wee bit too hot for them and with the rain coming down, the humidity went another level higher and that didn’t help the youngster at all. Yet, he stuck in brilliantly and played a career defining knock.

He also lost a lot of weight after batting for so long on day 2 and his body was palpably fragile. Nevertheless, he put a heavy price tag on his wicket and made the bowlers work hard. In an attempt to scamper through for a single, he ran himself out, but that doesn’t take away anything. Handscomb amassed 82 off 144 balls, which included 6 boudaries.

3. Drop catches won’t win matches

After giving two lifelines to David Warner on day 2, there were another set of chances which went for begging and that didn’t impress their skipper Mushfiqur at all. To embark the session of drops, it was Mustafizur Rahman who induced Maxwell into playing a nothing shot and Mehidy Hasan dropped a sitter at gully.

It was Hasan yet again, this time in his own bowling. Hilton Cartwright hit it straight down the ground and the ball went through his fingers, on to his ribs. He was in severe pain for some time, but that was a definite chance. The debacle intensified when he Soumya Sarkar dropped the easiest of chances at slips, failing to grab on to a swirling ball off Ashton Agar’s outside edge.

4. Late resurgance from the spinners

Though it was quite a poor rendition from Bangladesh for a major part of day 3, they managed to make a terrific comeback in the final few overs. With Australia’s lead escalating over 50, they were losing grip over the game but Mehidy Hasan had other ideas and it might well prove to be a game changer.

Mustafizur embarked their fightback by sending Mathew Wade back to the gallery. In the very next over, Mehidy Hasan picked up the prized scalp of Maxwell. In Hasan’s next over, Pat Cummins’ poor judgement of turn saw his get LBW and few overs later, Australia were nine down with Shakib dismissing Ashton Agar. If they can manage a draw from here, a whole lot credit must be given to the spinners for the way their turned the tables.

5. 20th Test match century for David Warner

David Warner has been bombarding oppositions for a long period of time with his aggressive intent, but things were different this time. He was a lot more composed and collective with his approach and worked hard for every run he scored. In an unconventional, atypical Warner fashion, he brought up his 20th Test match hundred, much to the delight of his skipper Steve Smith.

Warned combated for 234 balls to pile up 123 runs and certainly, this knock has to be right up there amongst his best. His fluent knock was brilliantly backed up by another jaw dropping effort coming from the bat of Peter Handscomb and the duo added 152 priceless runs for the third wicket. Interestingly, it was his Sunrisers Hyderabad mate Mustafizur who brought curtains to his wonderful knock and the young fast bowler definitely deserved that big wicket.