Bangladesh batters did an unimaginable job against the Australia on the second day of the Darwin Test. The frustration was obvious for the Aussies. They could not even hide it. Mitchell Starc got into a heated exchange with Mehidy Hasan Miraz at the near to the end of day two.
During the fifth ball of Mitchell Starc’s 21st over, which was the 103rd over of Bangladesh’s innings, Mehidy Hasan Miraz pushed the ball towards point and set off for a run. Under the laws of the game, batters, like bowlers, are expected to avoid running through the protected area in the middle of the pitch.
Miraz initially kept his eyes on Starc as he began running, but then turned his attention towards the ball. By the time he looked ahead again, he was almost face-to-face with Starc. Rather than changing his line, Miraz continued running straight through the middle of the pitch, something umpire Kumar Dharmasena immediately noticed.
Before the run was completed, Dharmasena approached Miraz and warned him about running through the protected area. Miraz immediately explained that he had been watching the ball and had not realised what was in front of him.
The incident soon led to a heated exchange. Starc pointed towards Miraz and made it clear that the area was part of his follow-through, telling the Bangladesh all-rounder to get off the wicket. Miraz responded that he could not see what was ahead because he was focused on the ball. As Starc walked back to his mark, he was heard telling Miraz, “You’re not in Bangladesh now.”
On Channel Seven, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting appeared sympathetic towards Miraz. His view was that the incident was not deliberate. Having watched the ball, Miraz looked up to find Starc in front of him and simply took the most straightforward route through the pitch.
The incident also reflected Australia’s growing frustration after a difficult day. Starc had taken three wickets with the new ball, but Miraz and Hasan Mahmud frustrated the hosts late in the day. Bangladesh finished on 351 for six, securing a 153-run first-innings lead with four wickets still in hand. Miraz remained unbeaten on 32, while Hasan Mahmud was 13 not out from 76 balls.
