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Nathan Lyon strikes but Bangladesh fights on day one in Chittagong

Nathan Lyon passed Jason Gillespie as the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests for Australia.

Nathan Lyon passed Jason Gillespie as the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests for Australia. Photo: AP

Nathan Lyon cut through Bangladesh’s top order but the hosts fought back hard on day one of the second Test in Chittagong.

Bangladesh finished the day on 6-253, a score which looks decent but not ascendant in the traditionally batsman-friendly wicket.

Lyon (5-77) became the first spinner to open the bowling in a Test match for Australia since 1938, and marked the occasion by grabbing a five-wicket haul despite Australia losing the toss and being sent in to field.

The man they call GOAT also moved into second behind Shane Warne for the most wickets taken by an Australian in Asia.

A 105-run partnership by the composed captain Mushfiqur Rahim and the flashy Shabbir Rahman ensured the tourists could not claim to have comprehensively won the first day, with the match poised nicely heading into Tuesday.

Lyon mopped up Bangladesh’s top three batsman, trapping Tamim Iqbal (9), Imrul Kayes (4) and Soumya Sarkar (33) all lbw in an effective display of turn off the pitch and restriction of runs.

Soumya would have been the most disappointed of the trio, having held up an end and looking settled before he was deceived by the offspinner on the stroke of the lunch break.

Sabbir Rahman

Sabbir Rahman and Mushfiqur Rahim built Bangladesh’s best partnership. Photo: AP

Normal service resumed after the interval with Mominul Haque making it a fourth straight lbw dismissal for Lyon, padded out for 31.

Star man Shakib al Hasan looked to turn the tide, but he edged Ashton Agar (1-46) to the alert Matthew Wade to end a 32-run partnership with Rahim.

Rahim (62 not out) and Shabbir (66) lead a recovery as they complied vital runs for the sixth wicket. They held the fort until the tea break, when Bangladesh had progressed to 5-155.

Rahim played the straight man, keeping things tight and picking off the loose deliveries as Shabbir expressed himself a little more with his usual aggressive approach.

The pair continued their stand into the final session, with Shabbir reaching 50 off 62 balls while his partner had lasted more than 100 deliveries for his unbeaten 36.

The Bangladesh captain accelerated his run rate as the bowlers tired, taking a particular liking to Steve O’Keefe with his trademark slog-sweep.

A brilliant piece of work from Wade behind the stumps finally brought an end to the home team’s most damaging partnership.

The oft-maligned keeper swept up a wideish delivery form outside leg stump and whipped Shabbir’s bails off, with the DRS finding he did not get his right foot behind the line after performing a clumsy pirouette in an attempt to get back in time.

It was a crucial intervention from the wicketkeeper in a match which Australian must win to escape the series with a draw.

New batsman Nasir Hossain wasted no time, playing some lavish strokes to move to 19 by stumps, with Rahim remaining the rock on which the innings is being built.

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