08/13/26 03:23:00
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08/13 03:17 CDT Hasan takes 6-55 as Australia dismissed for 198; Bangladesh
96-1 after Day 1 of test cricket series
Hasan takes 6-55 as Australia dismissed for 198; Bangladesh 96-1 after Day 1 of
test cricket series
DARWIN, Australia (AP) --- Australia got the Big Four back together but was
overshadowed by the Bangladesh bowlers on Day 1 of the Top End cricket series,
with Hasan Mahmud taking a career-best haul of 6-55 to help dismiss the hosts
for 198.
And just to show that the flurry of wickets Thursday wasn't entirely down to
the conditions, Bangladesh's top-order batters combined to reach 96-1 at stumps
to cut the first-innings deficit to 102.
Hasan struck in his sixth and seventh overs to remove openers Jake Weatherald
(23) and Travis Head (22) after Australia had won the toss and raced to 45
without loss on a green-tinged wicket in the tropical far northern Australian
city of Darwin.
From there, Hasan and fellow pacemen Taskin Ahmed (2-55) and Ebadot Hossain
(2-39) dominated the first two sessions, bowling with discipline to exploiting
the conditions and get on top of a batting lineup that was held together
primarily by Steve Smith's defiant 71.
Smith was the next-to-last wicket to fall, advancing at Hasan and top-edging a
high catch to wicketkeeper Litton Das to end a 109-ball innings that contained
seven boundaries and a six.
The day started positively for the hosts, with skipper Pat Cummins winning the
toss and electing to bat. Playing just his second test in 13 months, he
reunited in the pace attack with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. The
longtime frontline quicks were working again with veteran offspinner Nathan
Lyon.
A partisan crowd was in full support of Darwin-born Weatherald but he was never
really settled and needlessly swiped at a widish ball from Hasan, adding to the
pressure on him to retain his place in the lineup.
Head was out in Hasan's next over, chopping on a delivery that was bowled from
around the wicket as Australia slipped to 52-2.
Ebadot had Marnus Labuschagne (1) caught by Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain
Shanto and could have had the wicket of Smith early, too, but for a dropped
chance at third slip.
Bangladesh took a full toll on the opening morning of its first test match in
Australia since 2003, restricting the hosts to 74-4 when allrounder Cameron
Green (13) was out immediately before the lunch interval.
Ebadot dismissed Alex Carey (19) after the break and Taskin bowled Beau Webster
(12) before Cummins (9) and Starc (1) both nicked off to Hasan before the tea
interval.
The wicket of Smith then gave Hasan his third five-wicket haul in test cricket,
and the Bangladeshi bowler picked up last-man Lyon (7) to end the Australian
innings in 53 overs.
Despite having its first-choice bowling attack reassembled, the Australians
weren't able to get more than one breakthrough against Bangladesh.
Shadman Islam scored 20 in quick time before he got a leading edge off left-arm
paceman Starc and was caught by Lyon at cover point with the total at 36.
Mominal Haque was 35 and Tanzid Hasan was 32 in an unbeaten 60 run partnership.
The two-test "Top End" series starts a heavy 12-month schedule for the
Australians that will feature 20 test matches, including tours to South Africa,
India and England.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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