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Australia v Bangladesh: Steve Smith benefits from reprieve but tourists dominate day one of first Test

BBC Published Aug 13, 2026 Reviewed Aug 13, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
Australia v Bangladesh: Steve Smith benefits from reprieve but tourists dominate day one of first Test
Steve Smith scored 71 runs in the first Test against Bangladesh.
71 runs · Steve Smith
Hasan Mahmud took a career‑best 6 wickets for 55 runs in the first Test against Bangladesh.
6 wickets · Hasan Mahmud55 runs · Hasan Mahmud
Bangladesh were 96 for 1 at the close of day one, trailing Australia by 102 runs in the first Test against Bangladesh.
96 runs · Bangladesh1 wickets · Bangladesh102 runs · Bangladesh
Australia were dismissed for 46 runs in their last five wickets in the first Test against Bangladesh.
46 runs · Australia
Australia have never lost a home Test to Bangladesh, having lost only once in six previous Tests at Mirpur in 2017.
1 losses · Australia6 Tests · Australia
Steve Smith was on seven runs when the Bangladesh bowler Ebadot Hossain was appealed for caught behind in the first Test against Bangladesh.
7 runs · Steve Smith

Bangladesh bowler Ebadot Hossain was sure he had dismissed Steve Smith only for the Australia batter to be reprieved by the Snicko technology

Bangladesh dominated Australia on day one of the first Test, despite Steve Smith benefitting from being given not out on review to a ball he later said he nicked.

Smith was on seven when the Tigers appealed for caught behind off Ebadot Hossain, but umpire Kumar Dharmasena was unmoved.

The tourists reviewed the decision and Smith appeared to start to walk off, only for the Snicko technology to show a flat line as the ball passed the bat and so the not out decision stood.

Smith went on to make 71 but his team-mates otherwise struggled in Darwin as Tigers fast bowler Hasan Mahmud took a career-best 6-55 to help dismiss the hosts for 198.

Bangladesh reached 96-1 at the close, trailing by 102 runs.

When asked if he thought he had edged the ball, Smith said: "I think so, yeah. I was lucky? Yeah, it seems that way. You got to take it sometimes.

"Maybe I didn't nick it. I don't know. But I certainly felt something. If I'd been given out, I was going to walk off. But yeah, technology saved me today, I guess."

Snicko was the source of several controversies during the last Ashes series in Australia - host wicketkeeper Alex Carey was given a reprieve after a mistake by the operator of the technology, while England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith was twice involved in contentious decisions.

However, those issues related to images and audio spikes not appearing to line up properly, rather than a flat line throughout.

Regardless of Smith, who was also dropped on two, adding crucial extra runs until he skied Mahmud, this was a fine effort by Bangladesh after Australia won the toss and elected to bat.

Despite the top and middle orders again failing to convince, the hosts battled to 152-5 before fast bowler Taskin Ahmed bowled Beau Webster and Australia lost their last five wickets for just 46 runs.

In reply, opener Shadman Islam nicked Mitchell Starc to gully off a leading edge but Tanzid Hasan Tamim, who is unbeaten on 32, and Mominul Haque, who is 35 not out, steered the Tigers to the close with no further loss.

Australia have never lost a home Test to Bangladesh, only losing once to the Tigers in six previous Tests - at Mirpur in 2017.

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