Official Day 3 highlights
Josh Hazlewood etched his name into Australian cricket history on Day 3 in Darwin, but it wasn't nearly enough to wrestle back control of a Test that Bangladesh continue to dominate. Hazlewood reached 300 Test wickets during a six-wicket haul that finally ended Bangladesh's mammoth first innings, yet by stumps Australia still trailed by 67 runs with just six second-innings wickets standing between them and a genuinely historic defeat.
Catch up on the series so far — Day 1 and Day 2.
Day 3 quick facts
- Bangladesh 1st innings: 426 all out (Tanzid Hasan 101, Najmul Hossain Shanto 84, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 65)
- Bangladesh's lead: 228 runs
- Best bowler: Josh Hazlewood — 6/89, reaching 300 Test wickets in the process
- Australia 2nd innings close of play: 161/4, trailing by 67 runs
- Not out at stumps: Cameron Green (43*), Alex Carey (19*)
Hazlewood's landmark moment
Coming into the match having played just six of Australia's previous 14 Tests due to injury, Hazlewood needed five wickets to reach the 300 milestone — and delivered exactly that and more, working through Bangladesh's lower order to finish with 6 for 89. The milestone wicket made him the ninth Australian bowler in history to reach 300 Test scalps, and remarkably the fourth member of Australia's current attack to do so alongside Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc — making them the first attack in Test history to feature four 300-wicket bowlers playing together. Only Glenn McGrath, Cummins and Dennis Lillee have taken 300 wickets at a better average for Australia than Hazlewood's 24.02.
How the rest of the day unfolded
Bangladesh added just nine runs to their overnight lead before finally being bowled out for 426 shortly after lunch, having batted 138 overs in total — the most by any touring side in Australia in the last seven years. That effort left Australia needing to bat out of trouble immediately, and Hasan Mahmud made sure they didn't get an easy start, removing both openers cheaply: Jake Weatherald for a duck in just his third ball faced, and Travis Head for 17.
Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne steadied things through the middle session, but the tide turned again when Mehidy Hasan Miraz had Smith caught to reduce Australia to 161 for 4. Australia's cause wasn't helped by uncharacteristically sloppy fielding, with five catches put down across the day, including a straightforward chance off Smith's bowling that could have swung the balance further towards Bangladesh. Cameron Green and Alex Carey were left to see out the day unbeaten, still 67 runs shy of avoiding an innings defeat.
Where this leaves the Test
With two days still to play, Bangladesh are firmly in the driver's seat of a Test few expected them to control this comprehensively, especially after being thrashed by a Cricket Australia XI in the warm-up fixture just over a week earlier. A genuine chance now exists for what would be a landmark away win for Bangladesh, while Australia need a big final push from Green, Carey and the lower order simply to avoid a heavy defeat on home soil.
Frequently asked questions
How many Test wickets does Josh Hazlewood have now?
He passed 300 Test wickets on Day 3, becoming the ninth Australian bowler to reach the milestone.
What was Bangladesh's first-innings total?
426 all out, giving them a 228-run first-innings lead.
What was Australia's score at stumps on Day 3?
161 for 4 in their second innings, trailing by 67 runs.
Is this Bangladesh's best chance of a Test win in Australia?
On current form, yes — they head into Day 4 in a dominant position after outplaying Australia for most of the match so far.
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