Add Category
Posted
Australia has levelled the two-Test series against Bangladesh at 1-1 after swooping to a seven-wicket victory over the hosts on day four in Chittagong.
Australia's batsmen helped chase down the 86 in a hurry — at the cost of three wickets — but the star of the show was Nathan Lyon, further cementing his status as Australia's greatest-ever off-spinner.
Dismissed for the overnight score of 377 — 72 runs ahead of Bangladesh's 305 — Australia proceeded to dismantle the Tigers' top order as Lyon cleaned up to claim a second Test career 10-wicket haul, and his best-ever match figures of 13-154.
There was some fight shown by captain Mushfiqur Rahim (31), Shabbir Rahman (24) and Mominul Haque (29), who ensured Australia would have to bat again, but it was not enough to save the hosts from a hefty loss.
The drawn series means Australia's Test ranking drops from fourth to fifth place, level on points with New Zealand which swaps places with the Aussies.
Lyon (6-60) was the primary factor in Bangladesh's top-order collapse, triggered by Pat Cummins (2-27) when he procured an edge off Soumya Sarkar's (9) bat to the slips.
Lyon then lured Tamim Iqbal (12) out of his crease to set up a Matthew Wade stumping, before Imrul Kayes (15) popped the off-spinner to Glenn Maxwell in the covers.
Steve O'Keefe (2-49) then dismissed Nasir Hossain (5), edged to Steve Smith taking a sharp catch in the slips, before Lyon claimed his 10th of the Test by removing star all-rounder Shakib al-Hasan (2) when he too nudged to the slips.
Shabbir and Mushfiqur put Bangladesh into the lead when they combined for 54 runs for the sixth wicket.
But Shabbir charged past a Lyon delivery, handing Wade his third stumping of the game, and Mushfiqur fell victim to a change of pace when Cummins returned to break 43 successive overs of spin, immediately nicking off.
Mominul top-edged Lyon skywards before being excellently caught on the dive by Cummins at fine leg, handing Lyon his best-ever match figures and 22 wickets for the series — an excellent haul for a two-Test tour.
O'Keefe wrapped up the innings by bowling Mustafizur for a duck.
Needing 86 to win, first-innings centurion David Warner (8) did not trouble the scorers too much before holing out in the deep, attempting to smash a hook shout out of the park.
Steve Smith then bottom-edged to the keeper to fall for a modest 16, having helped keep the run-rate at a healthy level, before Matt Renshaw was trapped lbw by Shakib for 22.
But Glenn Maxwell (25 not out off 17) and Peter Handscomb (16 not out off 14) were clearly men in a hurry, knocking off the runs inside 16 overs to conclude their tour of Bangladesh; Maxwell winning the match with a big six over mid-wicket.
Australia's attentions now turn to a limited-overs series against India which begins September 17 in India, before the start of the Ashes series in November.
Topics: cricket, sport, bangladesh, australia