Tigers allow Australia a way back

One mistake can undo all the good things that came before it. If that mistake is committed against a team named Australia then the damage can be immense, as history has often shown. It would however be in no way wise to reach a conclusion after Australia, for the first time in this match, finished a day with some sort of relief as they reached 109 for two at stumps on the third day in chase of a 265-run target with their two best batsmen -- David Warner (75) and Steve Smith (25) -- at the crease after Nathan Lyon's six-wicket haul.

As Tamim Iqbal, who played yet another prudent innings of 78 in the second innings to help Bangladesh score 221 runs, said after the third day's play: "It is difficult to judge what comes next on such a wicket". The fourth morning -- which will start with Australia needing 156 more to win -- may well have unforeseen drama in store at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

So we may have to wait until the first hour of the fourth day to know if the Tigers will rue their captain Mushfiqur Rahim's sudden brain fade to fall victim of an unfortunate run out which dashed the home side's chances of setting a 300-plus target. And Soumya Sarkar's costly spill at first slip, that gave Warner the chance to pose a threat to the hitherto dominant home team before an unbeaten 81-run partnership between Smith and his deputy Warner changed the complexion of the match.

Courage, agility and good judgment are among the requisite qualities of a good slip fielder, but Soumya tried to save himself by taking his eyes off the ball when he needed to close his hands around the fast-approaching red blur after Warner, on 14, slashed a thick edge off Shakib Al Hasan's first over. That miss only added one more layer to an overall dismal Test for Soumya, as he earlier missed another catch and played a reckless shot in the penultimate over of the third day's play.

Bangladesh felt the consequence of those mistakes as Warner batted masterfully on a difficult surface. Warner and Smith made the Aussies' intentions very clear -- they were not there just to stay at the wicket, but were intent on pursuing runs and used their feet brilliantly to make full use of a slightly undisciplined bowling display from Bangladesh.

The Tigers however had the opportunity to make a total that would have been extremely hard in the conditions to eclipse, especially with the authority that Tamim and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim batted with against the Aussies' spin and pace bowlers.

Resuming the day on 45 for one, Bangladesh lost nightwatchman Taijul Islam early while Imrul Kayes followed him quickly, trapped in front to become Lyon's first victim. Tamim, however, was serene as he negotiated all the threats and with Mushfiqur fluently rotating the strike.

They went to lunch on 133 for three, with Tamim and Mushfiqur well set. The Aussies started the second session brilliantly as a short-ish delivery from Pat Cummins flew off the pitch and kissed Tamim's glove on the way through to Matthew Wade to send the left-hander back 22 runs short of a well-deserved hundred. Tamim shaped his innings with a mixture of calmness and aggression, including eight eye-catching boundaries during a 155-ball knock.

Shakib showed his aggressive intent from the start and paid the price when the left-hander was unable to follow up his first innings 84 when he fell while advancing to Lyon and being well caught at deep cover.

Then came that freakish dismissal which ended Mushfiqur's stay on 41. Sabbir Rahman drove a Lyon delivery hard back at the bowler and the ball brushed Lyon's fingers on way through to the non-striker's stumps, where Mushfiqur seemed to be in another world for a fraction of a second, long enough for the damage to be done.

Wickets kept falling as Nasir Hossain under-edged Ashton Agar and was well caught by Matthew Wade for a duck, and Sabbir followed in the next over when he was given out, caught at short leg off Lyon for 22.

Mehedi Hasan Miraz's late surge of a 35-ball 26 finally dragged the hosts to 221 before being all out and setting a 265-run winning target, which initially looked good enough but later it seemed that a brilliant bowling effort would be needed to bring all the good work of the previous two days to fruition.