BAN vs AUS: Nathan Lyon inspires Australia to seven-wicket victory in 2nd Test; series ends level 1-1

PTI

New Delhi: Aussie off-spinner Nathan Lyon bagged yet another five-wicket haul as Team Australia crumbled down Bangladesh on Day four of the second and final Test match of the series at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong, on Thursday. With a comprehensive seven-wicket victory, Australia brought things on level terms to draw the series 1-1.

Australia resolved Day four action with tailenders Nathan Lyon (0) and Steve O'Keefe (8 n.o.), but it too mere 11 deliveries, five by Mustafizur Rahman to bundle out the tourists for 377 runs. Bangladesh entered second innings with the willow with a 72-run lead.

Openers Tamim Iqbal (12) and Soumya Sarkar (9) stepped in whith ample hope of scripting history again for Bangladesh, but a splendid pace-spin combo by Pat Cummins and Lyon reduced the home team to mere 37/3 in the 17th over of their second innings.

The offie scalped three more in his second spell and finally dismissed Taijul Islam to claim his 22nd wicket in the series, which included three consecutive five-wicket hauls. He equalled Muttiah Muralitharan's record, but failed to eclipse Rangana Herath (23) on the list. Adding to it, he also went atop in the list of most wickets in Test cricket in 2017, edging past Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. The Aussie, dubbed as G.O.A.T, now has 46 wickets to his name, this year.

Bangladesh proved dismal in the second innings as two each from O'Keefe and Cummins along with Lyon's incredibility bundled out the home team for an abysmal 157 runs. Australia needed just 86 to level the series. And it seems the home team looked just as relaxed as the Aussies. On course to the absoloutely low total, the Kangaroos lost both their openers and tjhe skipper Steve Smith himself. In the end it was Glenn Maxwell who charged out to slog a six high over midwicket and seal a victory for the tourists.

A comfortable seven-wicket victory ended the series 1-1 against Bangladesh and Team Australia registered their 144th win on foreign soil, thereby equalling the record set by England.

Steve Smith's men will now gear up for the India series which starts off in just another weeks time.