Steve Smith drops sitter as visitors extend lead to 219

Darwin: Steve Smith dropped the simplest of outfield catches as Australia failed to bowl out Bangladesh before lunch on day three of the first Test, with the visitors stretching their lead to an enormous 228 when they were finally dismissed.

Travis Head also put down a catch, albeit a much tougher one, to enable Mehidy Hasan Miraz (65) to prolong the innings. Australia have now dropped five catches in the innings.

Mehidy finished the session by hooking Cameron Green for a huge six to leave absolutely no doubt which side had dominated the morning. After the break, Josh Hazlewood (6-89) pouched the last two wickets to move to 301 in his Test career.

Bangladesh’s total of 426 was a run short of their highest ever tally against Australia in Tests, and comfortably the most number of overs they have batted for against them.

"It's very, very un-Australian, isn't it?" said Alyssa Healy in the Fox Cricket commentary box. "We've seen catches go down. We've seen us out in the field for 128 overs. A lot of talking points that I think Australia seemingly have brought upon themselves."

For Australia to somehow win the match they would need to overcome their biggest first innings deficit in home soil to do so – it was previously 206 against Pakistan in Sydney in 2010.

Australia's biggest first innings deficit overcome to win in all Tests was 291 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 1992.

Pat Cummins’ team started out with plenty of intent to claim quick wickets, and a pair of victims for Hazlewood took him to 299.

But Mehidy found a willing ally in senior fast bowler Taskin Ahmed (14) and the pair put on 46 together to keep the tourists batting beyond lunch.

Cummins tried pace and spin, short balls and full ones, but was unable to claim the last two wickets. It appeared inevitable that Cummins would claim at least one when Taskin tried a hook shot, but the chance swirled a little in the breeze and Smith spilled it, immediately showing his displeasure.

It was notable, too, for Australia that Lyon was unable to find a way to coax the Bangladesh lower order into errors. He was played with impressive restraint by Mehidy and Taskin, who maintained their team’s strong resolve not to give the Australians anything easily.

Another sign of untidiness and fatigue came when Mitchell Starc was no-balled for having three fielders behind square on the leg side.

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