Debutant Mehedi Hasan Miraz bagged five wickets while Shakib Al Hasan also shone as Bangladesh did not let visiting England take control on the first day of the first Test in Chittagong on Thursday.
The English top order had no answer to Miraz and Shakib’s spin, and it was only a resistance from the middle order that kept England in the game who ended the day on 258 for 7.
Winning the toss, English skipper Alastair Cook opted to bat first, but Miraz and Shakib soon questioned his decision.
Miraz first bowled Ben Duckett (14), also on a debut, while Shakib removed Cook (4) in the next over. The openers were soon joined by Gary Ballance (1) as Miraz then trapped him leg before the wicket.
Joe Root (40) and Moeen Ali then made 62 in the fourth wicket, to avert further disaster, but Miraz struck again immediately after lunch to put an end to Root’s innings.
Shakib then bowled Ben Stokes (18) with a wonderful delivery as the English run wagon was derailed again.
Moeen was lucky on numerous occasions, as reviews after reviews went in his favour. Although he could not make the maximum of the chances, his 68 was the team highest, and certainly very vital from England’s point of view.
It was that man Miraz who ended his innings in the end, the left-handed batsman leaving after hitting eight fours and a six. Jonny Bairstow also hit a fifty thanks to eight fours, as England slowly moved to a decent score. He was the fifth victim of Miraz on a historic day, as the spinner became only the seventh Bangladeshi to record a five-for on debut.
Chris Woakes was unbeaten on 36 while Adil Rashid was on five when the umpires called it stumps for the day.
They will aim to take the score past 300, but Bangladesh will be keen to contain them before that.
