Mehidy Hasan Miraz was central to Bangladesh’s efforts on day three. The all-rounder scored a valuable 65 in the first innings before returning with the ball to dismiss Steven Smith, giving Bangladesh an important breakthrough in Australia’s second innings.
Miraz believes Bangladesh need to take at least three early wickets on the fourth morning to maintain their advantage.
“The fewer runs they score, the better it will be for us. There are still two days left in the game, and it is very important for us to take three wickets from here. They all bat well, and the wicket is getting better as the days go by. So rather than thinking too much about a big target, we are trying to take small steps and move forward,” Miraz said in the press conference.
The Darwin pitch has remained good for batting even after three days, while also offering something to the bowlers. Miraz said Bangladesh’s bowlers have had to work hard for every wicket and are therefore focusing on maintaining disciplined areas rather than chasing wickets recklessly.
“The wicket is still good. We are not thinking about it that way; we are just trying to bowl in good areas. You have to work hard for every wicket because we can see that the wicket is not that easy. The wickets we have taken have come after a lot of hard work.”
Bangladesh’s approach has also been to keep Australia’s scoring under control. Miraz believes that if they can restrict the hosts while taking another three or four wickets, the task ahead will become much easier.
“The wickets we have taken have been hard-earned. So we are trying to restrict the runs as much as possible. If we can take another three or four wickets while keeping them within this score, it will make things easier for us. Perhaps the target we have to deal with will not be too high.”
