Bangladesh moved within six wickets of a historic Test victory over Australia on Saturday after the hosts' batting problems resurfaced on the third day of the first Test in Darwin. Australia reached 161-4 at stumps, still 67 runs behind Bangladesh, leaving the visitors in a strong position to claim their first Test win on Australian soil and potentially one of the biggest victories in their Test history. Bangladesh, resuming at 351-6, extended its first-innings total to 426 as Mehidy Hasan Miraz guided the lower order through a series of useful partnerships.

Mehidy added 46 runs with Hasan Mahmud, 18 with Taijul Islam and another 46 with Taskin Ahmed before being dismissed for 65 off 154 balls. The effort pushed Bangladesh's first-innings advantage beyond 200 and placed Australia under significant pressure heading into its second innings. Josh Hazlewood was Australia's standout bowler, taking all four wickets to fall on Saturday and finishing with 6-89 from 28 overs. His dismissal of Mehidy brought up a major personal milestone, making him the fourth member of Australia's celebrated "Big Four" bowling group to reach 300 Test wickets and the ninth Australian overall to achieve the mark.

Hazlewood later dismissed Ebadot Hossein for seven, bringing Bangladesh's innings to an end at 426. Australia's top order again struggled against Bangladesh's bowling attack. Jake Weatherald was dismissed for a duck before Travis Head fell for 17, with both batters chopping deliveries from Hasan Mahmud onto their stumps while attempting cut shots. Hasan finished with 2-33 in the second innings after taking 6-55 in Australia's first innings, when the hosts were bowled out for 198.

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Marnus Labuschagne made 31 from 59 balls but was bowled by Taijul Islam after missing a straight delivery. Steve Smith appeared to provide Australia with some stability as he compiled 44 with his typically controlled approach, but Bangladesh's Mehidy struck again with a sharp caught-and-bowled dismissal. Smith's departure left Australia at 122-4 and still 106 runs behind, although Cameron Green and Alex Carey managed to survive through the remainder of the day's play.

Australia's batting was also undermined by another series of dropped catches, with the hosts putting down three opportunities on Saturday. One of the most costly came when Smith dropped a straightforward chance in the deep, taking Australia's tally of missed catches during the match to five. The errors have added to the pressure on a team already struggling to cope with Bangladesh's disciplined bowling. At stumps, Green remained unbeaten on 43 while Carey was 19 not out. Australia must first erase the remaining 67-run deficit before attempting to set Bangladesh a challenging target in the final innings.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, needs only six more wickets to complete a landmark victory. Australia's largest successful fourth-innings comeback from a first-innings deficit at home was 206 runs against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2010, underscoring the scale of the task facing the hosts. The two-Test series is the beginning of a demanding 12-month schedule for Australia that includes 20 Test matches, with tours involving South Africa, India and England still to come. For Bangladesh, however, the immediate focus is on finishing the job in Darwin. A victory would represent a major milestone for the side and potentially rank among its most significant Test results.

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