Ban vs Aus: Honours even at lunch

A spectacular catch by skipper Mushfiqur Rahim to get rid of Australian opener Matt Renshaw gave Bangladesh a boost going into the lunch break on the second day of the second Test in Chittagong after the hosts added 52 runs to their overnight score of 253 for six before being bundled out half an hour before lunch for 305.

Mushfiqur, also the top scorer with the bat with 68, dove full length to his right and pulled off an airborne, one-handed take when Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman  slipped one down the leg side and Renshaw got a thin nick. With the first Australian wicket falling on five, skipper Steven Smith joined David Warner and hit a couple of attractive fours to take the team to lunch on 15 for one off four overs. Off-sinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz opened the bowling and was operating with the new ball along ith his good friend Mustafizur.

But honours were largely even in the morning session as Australia managed to knock off Bangladesh's batsmen in 23.2 overs in the morning session, with off-spinner Nathan Lyon taking taking two more wickets and ending up with an innings haul of seven for 94. Bangladesh meanwhile accomplished a 300-plus total on a pitch expected to deteriorate.

Although the pitch at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong barely turned on the first day, Lyon got some turn immediately as a beautifully flighted off-break sneaked through the bat and pad of Mushfiqur and bowled him in the 98th over, the eighth of the day. Thecaptain had added just six to his overnight score

Nasir Hossain, who had scored a valuable 19 after a 105-run sixth wicket partnership between Mushfiqur and Sabbir Rahman the previous day, continued in his enterprising manner till he became the second victim of Ashton Agar, edging to the keeper for 45 crucial runs in the 111th over with the team score on 293 for eight.

In the next over, Mehedi Hasan Miraz was run out trying to go for a second run to leave the Tigers nine down and four short of 300. Taijul Islam then carried the score to 305 before becoming Lyon'ssecond victim.