Steve Smith matches Joe Root's world record by achieving a historic milestone in his 124th Test match in Darwin.

On the second day of the first Test match against Bangladesh, Australian cricketer Steve Smith made history by equaling the world record for the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in Test cricket. Smith, who began the match with 215 catches, achieved this milestone by successfully taking three catches at second slip during Bangladesh's first innings. He caught edges from Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Litton Das, bringing his total to 218 catches in just 124 Tests.

What makes Smith's accomplishment particularly remarkable is the speed at which he reached this milestone. He matched England's Joe Root, who also has 218 catches, but did so in 42 fewer Tests and 89 innings earlier. This achievement places both players at the top of the all-time list for non-wicketkeeper catches in Test cricket, highlighting Smith's exceptional fielding skills.

As the match progressed into Day 3, Bangladesh positioned themselves within striking distance of a historic Test victory over Australia. By the end of the day, Australia found themselves at 161 for 4, still trailing by 67 runs from Bangladesh's first-innings total of 426. Hasan Mahmud was instrumental in this effort, adding two more wickets to his impressive tally, which now stands at eight for the match after his earlier performance of 6 for 55.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz also played a pivotal role, contributing significantly with the bat by scoring 65 runs before dismissing Smith for 44, further complicating Australia's chances of a comeback. Meanwhile, Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood celebrated a personal milestone, claiming 6 for 89 and reaching 300 Test wickets, becoming the ninth Australian to achieve this feat.

As the match heads into its final stages, Cameron Green (43 not out) and Alex Carey (19 not out) will need to mount a significant effort to help Australia overcome the deficit and set a challenging target for Bangladesh. With the visitors firmly in control, they are eyeing one of the most significant Test victories in their cricketing history.