Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim's 50 allows Bangladesh to finish on top vs Australia on Day 1 of 2nd Test
Bangladesh finally managed to provide tough fightback to Australia, as they managed to finish on top on Day One of the second Test.
Sabbir Rahman (left) and Mushfiqur Rahim contributed to a much needed 105-run stand for the sixth wicket Getty Images
Bangladesh gave Australia a serious run for their money. They managed to finish on top on Day One of the second and final Test at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong on Monday. Sabbir Rahman and captain Mushfiqur Rahim scored respective half-centuries and contributed to a much-needed 105-run stand for the sixth wicket. That allowed Bangladesh to bounce back following a shaky start. Nathan Lyon was easily the pick of the bowlers: he finished Day One with 5 for 77 (4 of these wickets were LBWs), his 11th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Bangladesh vs Australia 2017, 2nd Test at Chittagong
Mushfiqur had decided to bat first, and the hosts had a tough first session, finishing at 77 for 3. It was followed by a better performance in the post-lunch session, posting 85 but still losing 2 wickets in the process. Nevertheless, the post-tea session mostly went in favour of Bangladesh: both Mushfiqur and Sabbir batted through for over two hours, keeping the Australian spinners at bay. Sabbir became the first player of the Test to score a half-century, his fourth in Tests, just before Bangladesh reached 200. The 200 was soon followed by Mushfiqur his half-century, his 18th in Test cricket.
Mushfiqur and Sabbir milked the spinners for runs. With neither Steve O Keefe nor Ashton Agar having a significant impact, the onus fell on Lyon. He provided another crucial breakthrough for the visitors just when things were getting out of hand for Australia. Sabbir attempted to pull, missed, and lost his balance in the act, and Matthew Wade whipped the bails off. One of his legs was behind the line but the in the air, while the other, while grounded, was on the line. Sabbir fell for 66. FULL CRICKET UPDATES: Bangladesh vs Australia 2017, 2nd Test at Chittagong, Day 1
This did not affect Mushfiqur, who barely panicked. The scoring rate did not drop as Nasir Hossain kept getting singles. Bangladesh finished Day One on 253 for 6 with Mushfiqur on 62 and Nasir on 19. Pat Cummins, the long Australian fast bowler, toiled hard without having much an impact.
Brief scores
Bangladesh 253 for 6 (Sabbir Rahman 66, Mushfiqur Rahman 62*; Nathan Lyon 5 for 77) vs Australia.
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