Steve Smith was the one Australian to build an innings against Bangladesh, scoring 71 off 109 balls with seven fours and a six. He also needed some luck, and he said as much afterwards.
The review that saved him
Smith seemed to touch a ball from Ebadot Hossain, and the bowler, wicketkeeper Litton Das and the slip cordon all appealed. The on-field umpire said not out, but Smith had already started to walk off. A review found no clear sign of an edge on Snicko, so he stayed.
At his press conference Smith accepted that he had been fortunate. He said he had felt something, and that he would have left the field had he been given out. In his words, technology had saved him.
Seamers take all ten
Bangladesh’s quicks took every Australian wicket. Hasan Mahmud was the pick with 6 for 55, while Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot each took two. It was only the second time Bangladesh’s fast bowlers had taken all ten wickets in a Test innings, after Rawalpindi against Pakistan in 2024.
Tricky conditions
Smith said the early overs were hard work, with a tacky pitch and plenty of seam movement. He thought Bangladesh bowled well in the morning. The surface, he said, had been rock hard the previous day and was probably affected by dew. It hardened as the day progressed, but he warned it could be tricky again if it softened overnight.
