Bangladesh boss opening day to frustrate Australians

Having lured the country's top cricketers more than two-and-a-half thousand kilometres away from their more recognisable southern home-ports, Darwin's first day of Test cricket in 22 years followed an all-too-familiar pattern. 

In steamy dry-season heat, the recurrences of a top-order wobble on a seam-friendly surface, a Steve Smith rescue act, as well as a DRS audio controversy, meant the Top End's landmark day felt like a host of others Australia have experienced in recent times.

With Bangladesh cruising to 1-96 at stumps, trailing by 102, having enjoyed the best of the batting conditions after Marrara's early moisture was baked out, the Aussies are once again relying on their ace bowlers to pull them out of a sticky spot.

Australia's rusty first day of a home Test season was also in keeping with the recent past. But what might not have been anticipated was the potency of Bangladesh's unheralded pace trio – especially after Pat Cummins chose to bat first on the unknown drop-in pitch.

The Tigers were led by Hasan Mahmud, the lively 26-year-old right-arm quick whose 6-55 marked his country's best Test figures against Australia, to knock over their hosts for less than 200 for the sixth time in their last nine Tests. 

Mahmud took the final four Australian wickets including the prized scalp of Smith – top-edging a wild hoick in a late scramble for runs as the tail crumbled around him – after the 36-year-old had held together his team's shaky first Test batting effort in seven months.

Even Smith had found the early going difficult on the nippy track. Dropped at third slip on 2, he then looked to have edged behind on 7 only for 'Echo' audio technology fail to register the nick the batter himself looked to have admitted to by wandering part of the way towards the pavilion while the review was underway.

Smith ignored the visitors' disbelief by marking centre confidently and, having survived another close call on 13 when he inadvertently set off for a single only to be sent sprawling for cover by Alex Carey, offered the only sustained resistance in posting 71 from three hours at the crease.

But Smith, having belatedly come to terms with the two-paced nature of the wicket, Smith watched helplessly from the other end as his teammates were unable to do likewise.

With other recent leading lights with the bat, Travis Head and Carey, both chopping on, Marnus Labuschagne was out prodding having scored off only one of his first 20 deliveries, while Cameron Green was caught poking a nip-backer to mid-wicket.

Jake Weatherald, living out a dream as Darwin's first homegrown international by opening the batting in front of family and friends, initially showed the benefits of a rethought technical set-up before he was dismissed between 18 and 35 for the fifth time in 11 innings.

After the beaming Mahmud led his side off the ground having kissed the turf and pointed to the sky following his third career five-for, Australia's vaunted bowling attack surely fancied their chances of decimating a visiting side expected to struggle in conditions they have not played a Test in for two decades.

But the chance to build an early swell of momentum was missed when Nathan Lyon failed to get a hand on a skied chance from a reckless Tanzid Hasan swipe that came before either opener had scored a run off the bat.

The Bangladesh openers took other more calculated risks against Australia's pacey attack, though Shadman Islam chanced his arm once too often when he squired one to backward point, Lyon this time making no mistake.

That was the only joy for an the Australians on a pitch that became easy-paced in the final session, Mominul and the reprieved Tanzid settling into a steady rhythm to lead their team's composed reply.

Thursday morning's whispers that Australia may insert their opponents if the coin fell Cummins' way proved false when the home side skipper ignored the steamy morning humidity and backed in his sometimes fragile batting unit.

The sight of Head flaying his second ball, and Weatherald his first, to the off-side boundary offered hope of the kind of rollicking start the pair enjoyed several times against England last summer.

But Bangladesh's nagging lengths put paid to that. Weatherald's first 'nick-off' exit in Test cricket (he had not been caught edging through the entire Ashes campaign) prompted the stream of wickets after the openers had put on 45 in 11 overs.

Head, fortunate to survive an early lbw review as well as a leading edge that landed between mid-on and -off, followed in an attempt to lift a strike-rate that, by his standards, was pedestrian.

Smith watched on as Labuschagne and Green also both fell before lunch. He was similarly powerless as the rest of the middle-order all likewise failed to pass 20, with Carey perishing in a mirror-image dismissal to Head's, while Beau Webster was clean bowled.

Their loss of 5-46 and Bangladesh's subsequent unflustered start to their own innings left Cummins' outfit humbled at day's end.

NRMA Insurance Bangladesh Test series

First Test: August 13-17, Marrara Stadium, Darwin, 10am (local)

Second Test: August 22-26, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 10am (local)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Bangladesh squad (first Test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan