BAN v AUS, 2nd Test, Day 4 Review: Lyon's 13 wickets seal a win for the visitors on a dramatic day

Australia’s Nathan Lyon was on a record breaking spree, as he scalped six wickets on the dramatic 4th day of the 2nd Test match, to take the visitors to a comfortable total. Bangladesh were bowled out for just 157 in their 2nd innings and Lyon finished with his third successive six-wicket haul, making it a tally of 22 wickets in the series. Lyon’s pack of wickets is the most by an Australian in a 2-Test series.

Play on day 4 started half an hour early due to the showers that ate up time yesterday, and the Australians couldn’t trouble the scorers as they were wrapped up for 377. Tempers were flying high when Bangladesh started their 2nd innings, and the skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was asked to calm down by umpire Ian Gould after a few heated exchange of words with the fielders. Trailing by 72 runs, Bangladesh opener Soumya Sarkar’s disappointing string of poor scores continued. This time he was dismissed for just nine runs by pacer Pat Cummins.

Lyon’s 6/60 breaks Bangladesh’s back

The hosts soon lost the other opener, Tamim Iqbal, after the southpaw tried to play an expansive shot only to be stumped by Matthew Wade, giving Lyon his first wicket of the day. It wasn’t an easy take for the gloveman but Wade did well to get hold of the ball and dislodge the bails in time. Five runs were added to the total before Imrul Kayes turned out to be Lyon’s second victim and soon the Australians picked the most valuable wicket of all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who failed to create an impact in the decider.

Skipper Rahim was once again seen sweating it out in the field, he batted for over two hours to ensure a decent score is being put on the board. Spinner Steve O’Keefe, who went wicketless in the first inning, picked the stick of Naseer Hossain.  The batsman received a grand send off from the spinner for imitating the umpire, while a decision was being made on day 3 of the Test match.

Mominul Haque scored 29, two runs short of the top scorer Rahim, as Lyon roared back with his third successive six-wicket haul. Sabbir Rahman’s aggressive approach didn’t pay well for the hosts, as they were bundled out, setting Steve Smith and his men a target of 86 runs to avoid a slip to no. six in the ICC rankings and from becoming the fourth team to lose a series against Bangladesh in the last 17 years.

Australia didn’t start off well, as they lost their man in form David Warner in the fifth over of the innings. Warner was dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman for eight runs. Skipper Smith too perished in quick time, and the visitors were two wickets down in a span of 26 balls. But with just 42 runs remaining, Australia didn’t panic, as a brief stay at the crease was enough to water out Bangladesh’s dream of clinching the series. The hosts managed to get one more wicket, after Matt Renshaw edged one to the keeper, but deep down Bangladesh knew that the match is all but over. Glenn Maxwell and Peter Handscomb scored the remaining runs and registered a dramatic victory in the 16th over, as the competitive series ended 1-1.

Brief Scores:

Bangladesh- 1st Innings  305 (Mushfiqur Rahim 68, Sabbir Rahman 66, Nathan Lyon 7/94)

 Australia- 1st Innings 377  (David Warner 123, Peter Handscomb 82, Mustafizur Rahman 4/84)

Bangladesh- 2nd Innings 157 (Mushfiqur Rahim 31; Lyon 6/60)

Australia- 2nd Innings 87/3 (Renshaw 22; Mustafizur Rahman 1/16)

Players of the match: David Warner and Nathan Lyon