The second Test between Bangladesh and Australia began on September 4 in Chittagong and on day 2, Australia’s off-spinner Nathan Lyon achieved a unique record in Test cricket. He became the first bowler in the history of the longest format of the game to get the top 4 batsmen out LBW.
Nathan Lyon removed Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar and Mominul Haque; all trapped in front of the wickets. He ended with a total of 7 wickets in the innings giving away 94 runs from 36.2 overs.
Test cricket has seen all the top 4 batsmen getting out LBW a total of 6 times but it happened for the first time that a single bowler accounted for all 4 wickets. It happened for the first time at Bridgetown in 1999 when Australia dismissed the top 4 batsmen LBW. Where the first 3 were scalped by Glenn Mcgrath, the other one went to Jason Gillespie.
A gripping day of Test cricket
The Chittagong Test has so far produced an engaging game of cricket. Bangladesh scored 305 in the first innings where the skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman scored half-centuries.
Australia went in with 3 spinners – Nathan Lyon, Ashton Agar and Stephen O’Keefe. For the first time in 70 years, the Aussies began the attack with a spinner as Nathan Lyon shared the new ball attack alongside Pat Cummins.
Australia were rocked back early in the second innings as Matt Renshaw departed for just 4. The centurion from the previous match David Warner and the captain Steve Smith then constructed a solid partnership of 93 runs before Smith was dismissed for 58.
Warner stood firm to the crease and played an uncharacteristic knock of 88 for which he consumed 170 deliveries. He was beautifully supported by Peter Handscomb who stayed unbeaten at the end of the day at 69 as Australia finished at stumps at 225/2. A fightback by the visitors makes for a mouthwatering contest for the coming 3 days.
