Lyon tames Tigers, Aussies split series

Nathan Lyon's wicket-taking and record-setting bonanza has led Australia to a series-levelling seven-wicket victory in the second Test, as Bangladesh meekly folded to the unstoppable off-spinner on day four in Chittagong.

Following up his first-innings haul of 7-94, Lyon claimed 6-60 in a marathon second-innings stint to finish with match figures of 13-154, the best return by an Australian in Asia and the second-best by any foreign bowler on the subcontinent.

Having fought their way back into match the previous day, Bangladesh squandered all the ground gained after a top-order collapse of 5-32 in Thursday's first session.

Eventually bundled out for 157 in 71.2 overs, Bangladesh left the visitors a modest fourth-innings target of 86 and more than an hour to chase it, with Australia needing just 15.2 overs to take the series ledger to 1-1 as Peter Handscomb (16 not out) and Glenn Maxwell (19 not out) swiftly guided the visitors home; Maxwell ended the Test with a huge six smashed over wide long-on.

Aside from captain Steve Smith switching ends on a handful of occasions, Lyon bowled his 33 overs virtually unchanged, putting on a spin-bowling clinic on an increasingly dusty Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium surface.

Ably backed up by the tenacious Pat Cummins (2-27 off 11 overs) and spin sidekick Stephen O'Keefe, Lyon also took his series wicket count to 22, the second-highest tally ever recorded in a two-Test bout.

After Australia failed to add to their overnight first-innings score of 9-377 when Lyon (duck) was out to Mustafizur Rahman (4-84 off 38 overs) in the second over of the day, lone quick Pat Cummins' hostile first-up spell was rewarded with the scalp of Soumya Sarkar (nine), who edged straight to Matthew Renshaw at first slip.

After Tamim Iqbal had cracked Lyon through cover with a trademark inside-out drive, Lyon gained his revenge when the left-hander was completely done in flight and Matthew Wade did the rest with a smart stumping.

First drop Imrul Kayes squandered his wicket when he bunted an easy catch to Maxwell at short cover, before Lyon went past 10 wickets in a match for the second time in his career when Shakib al Hasan pushed and edged to David Warner at second slip.

Australia were now running rampant and O'Keefe, recalled from the international wilderness for this Test, put his finger to his lips when he had Nasir Hossain caught at slip by Steve Smith, with the send-off likely revenge for the Bangladesh allrounder's cheeky mimicking of an overturned review on day three.

Bangladesh had been reduced to 5-43 and fears they'd lost another were momentarily heightened when Sabbir Rahman was given out lbw to O'Keefe, though a healthy inside edge saved him on review.

Sabbir and captain Mushfiqur Rahim (who top-scored with 31) did well to stem the flow of wickets and ensure Australia would at least have to bat again.

O'Keefe had looked short of rhythm in the first innings but with that initial 23-over stint across the first two days under his belt, the tweaker was the perfect foil for Lyon as the duo resumed the successful partnership they'd forged in India earlier this year.

Sabbir was compared to India firebrand Virat Kohli by Lyon earlier this week and as if with a point to prove, the right-hander tried to throw the off-spinner by compulsively reverse-sweeping him against the spin.

His aggressive instincts however proved his downfall however, as he charged out to a quicker delivery from Lyon after lunch and while he desperately threw his pad out, Wade expertly gathered the deflection and flattened the stumps before Sabbir could get back.

It ended a 54-run stand and Mominul Haque could have been gone as well two overs later if Maxwell had held onto a sharp chance at second slip off Lyon.

Mominul and Mushfiqur ticked the hosts' slender lead past 50, but Cummins returned to have the skipper caught behind, the speedster again troubling the home side's batsmen with raw pace.

Cummins roughed up tail-ender Mehedi Hasan a few overs later, a brute of a short ball cannoning off his hand (which required lengthy medical treatment) and onto his helmet, with his neck guard sent flying off.

The paceman has hardly put a foot wrong in this series (indeed since his return to Test cricket earlier this year) and his sprawling catch to give Lyon his fifth and send Mominul on his way for 29 before tea was another feather in his sweat-stained Baggy Green cap.

With four men now huddled around the bat, Lyon's masterclass continued when Taijul Islam was bowled by a clever straighter ball, and O'Keefe capped things off when he breached Mustafizur's defence to leave Australia more than an hour to finish the match

After first-innings century maker Warner (eight) was out to Mustafizur for the second time in the match, Smith and Renshaw batted with a clear intention to not let the match run into a fifth day.

Smith took 13 off his first four balls while Renshaw opener his broad shoulders with a couple of booming lofted straight drives for six off Shakib.

While Australian nerves jangled when the skipper edged behind to Taijul for 16 and Renshaw (22) followed suit to Shakib, Maxwell brought an end to the match with a mighty hoick over midwicket.

Ending a series that many thought wouldn't happen, but leaving all who saw it glad it did.

Australia XI: David Warner, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Matthew Wade (wk), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Steve O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon

Bangladesh XI: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim (c/wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Mehedi Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Mominul Haque

Australia in Bangladesh 2017

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Steve O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade.

Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (c), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mominul Haque.

27-31 August First Test, Dhaka, Bangladesh won by 20 runs

4-8 September Second Test, Chittagong