A 105-run sixth-wicket stand between skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and rookie batsman Sabbir Rahman brought Bangladesh back into the second Test against Australia at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong, but there is a lot of work still to be done on a decent batting wicket if the hosts are to wrest back the initiative. 

Sabbir did not make it to the end of day, falling for 66 to a fantastic stumping, but Mushfiqur was not out on 62 as Bangladesh reached stumps at 253 for six. Five of the six wickets were taken by veteran Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

Earlier in the second session, Bangladesh scored 85 runs for the loss of Mominul Haque (31) and Shakib Al Hasan (24), both guilty of falling after having gotten starts on what continues to look like a good batting wicket. Only Mushfiqur, unbeaten on 29 off 79 balls, is the only one so far who looks to be playing a Test innings against a bowling attack executing their plans to perfection. The spinners Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar have been unerringly accurate and mixing up their pace brilliantly, with the quicker balls skidding through. 

Even after a first session of seeing the spinners' quicker balls skid off the surface, Mominul Haque committed the cardinal sin of going back to a Lyon quicker delivery and closing the bat face. The ball thudded into the pads and the umpire had no qualms in sending the batsman, returning to the side after missing the last two Tests, on his way in the 34th over, giving Lyon his fourth wicket.

Before that, Shakib hit the sixth ball of the session for a beautifully timed four down the ground off Pat Cummins, but played an airy shot past cover for four later on in the same over, hinting that he was looking to hit out. He continued to live by the sword, slashing at deliveries and sticking his bat out at the last instant to take runs behind the wicket. It was this approach that proved to be his downfall when, in the 47th over, Agar angled the ball across the left-hander from around the wicket and a late swish caught the edge through to the keeper.  

Sabbir then joined Mushfiqur and straight away went for his shots, hitting his 16th ball from in the 52nd over from Lyon just over long on for a six despite a man situated there for that shot. There were paddle sweeps and attacking shots aplenty from Sabbir, while Mushfiqur was the model of judicious shot selection. 

Earlier, Australia managed to win the first session after they sent back three Bangladesh batsmen to the dressing room before lunch with the score on 70.

Having won the toss, Bangladesh chose to bat first at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. The hosts started solidly as Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar looked to play with confidence.

Tamim got a lifeline early on when, on six, he nicked Pat Cummins in the seventh over to the slip cordon only for Glenn Maxwell to drop it. However, Tamim could not capitalize on his luck as he fell to Nathan Lyon in the first ball of the 10th over after scoring nine runs.

All three Bangladesh wickets fell to Lyon -- all leg-before dismissals. Imrul Kayes, who has been struggling for runs in this series was the next to go when he, still looking ill-at-ease at number three, fell to Lyon in the 14th over trying a slog-sweep.

A decisive Steve Smith went for the review even when Lyon was not quite confident. The decision was rewarded when the third umpire decided in favour of the Aussies and Bangladesh were 21 for two.

Mominul Haque partnered together with Soumya Sarkar to build a 49-run partnership. Both batsmen looked to play with a straight bat after early fall of wickets. Soumya Sarkar dazzled with his strokeplay when he hit Lyon for six over mid on for six.

As the morning session neared it's end Bangladesh looked like they found some stability when Lyon struck again to remove Soumya Sarkar for 33 runs. The batsman had looked to see off the session and did not score for 13 balls when Soumya Sarkar played Lyon, looking for the turn. The drifter however went through his defence and struck him on the back foot, leading to a leg-before.

Australia dictated the proceedings  during  the morning session as the players went to lunch on the first day of the second Test.

Bangladesh have made one change from the side that played in the 20-run win in the first Test, with pacer Shafiul Islam making way for Mominul Haque.