Lunch Bangladesh 181 for 2 (Tanzid 74*, Mominul 49, Shanto 28*, Hazlewood 1-32) trail Australia 198 (Smith 71, Mahmud 6-55) by 17 runs

Bangladesh held Australia off and got into an even stronger position by lunch on the second day of the Darwin Test after their top-order batters played out the crucial first session for the loss of just one wicket. Tanzid Hasan got to 74, having added 102 runs for the second wicket with Mominul Haque, who was dismissed for 49. At the break, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was giving Tanzid company with 28.

The second morning began quietly as Mominul and Tanzid, the overnight batters, played within themselves. Mominul flicked Pat Cummins through square-leg in the second over of the morning to bring up Bangladesh’s 100 – they had started on 96 for 1 – after which they scored two more boundaries in the next ten overs, progress though was watchful.

Tanzid’s blast over mid-off against Beau Webster, when he stepped out and went over long-off in the second over after the drinks break, was Bangladesh’s first real shot of intent of the dau. It also brought up their century partnership.

Mominul, however, lost his concentration in the following over when he edged Josh Hazlewood behind for 49. The waft outside off went against his approach thus far, but Mominul had helped lay the foundation for what could be a seminal for Bangladesh.

Australia missed out on Tanzid’s wicket when he edged an attempted cut off Nathan Lyon but the ball struck wicketkeeper Alex Carey’s hand before popping towards Steven Smith at slip, hit his hand and went down. That was the second reprieve for Tanzid, who had been dropped by Lyon before even opening his account.

Shanto struck the ball sweetly for his two boundaries, both off Cameron Green, as he tried to take advantage of the solid start to the day.

On the first day, after Shadman Islam fell with the total on 36, Mominul and Tanzid left a lot of deliveries outside the off stump, getting the fast bowlers to bowl closer to them. They eventually got more scoring opportunities towards the end of the day, and the run rate went up to four after 24 overs.

The Bangladesh batters really only built on the good work by their fast bowlers. Hasan Mahmud‘s six-wicket haul was the cornerstone of the effort, as Australia were finished off for 198 in just 53 overs.