Tigers on top after more Shakib heroics

Bangladesh enjoyed a near perfect day to continue their stranglehold of the first Test against Australia after the second day's play in Mirpur, thanks to champion all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan who was the epitome of the home side's exhibition of intensity, discipline, and patience during his record five-wicket haul after a scintillating 84-run knock on the opening day.

Shakib celebrated every success in his trademark style, he showed anger at fielders for dropping catches; more importantly his involvement in the match was as outstanding as the accuracy in his bowling, which fetched figures of five for 68 and placed him in an elite and exclusive club of four bowlers to have owned five-wicket hauls against all the nine other Test nations. The other members are legends such as Muttiah Muralidaran, Dale Steyn and Rangana Herath.

Except for Soumya Sarkar's madness in the penultimate over of the day, his earlier drop at slip and Shafiul Islam spilling a sitter that ultimately allowed two Aussie tail-enders -- Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins -- to share a valuable 49-run ninth wicket stand, Bangladesh's bowlers controlled proceedings in such a methodical way on a turning and bouncing track that it speaks of a good Test team growing in confidence.

Shakib demonstrated all his experience and craftiness after young Mehedi Hasan Miraz opened the floodgates by bewildering visiting skipper Steve Smith – Australia's best player of spin and the main threat for the home side on the second day. Despite some wagging of the tail the bowlers' brilliant effort ensured a morale-boosting 43-run first innings lead.

Tamim Iqbal and Soumya seemed to carry on with the serenity displayed by the bowlers when they came to open the second innings. Tamim just looked like he started from where he had left off in the first innings and remained unbeaten on 30 while Soumya suddenly lost his composure, running out to hit a looping, flighted ball from Ashton Agar that reached long-on, where Usman Khawaja completed the catch in the fourth attempt.

Nightwatchman Taijul Islam joined Tamim and successfully negotiated nine balls as Bangladesh finished the day with an 88-run lead after making 45 for one in their second innings at stumps.

Earlier, the day began brilliantly for the hosts as Australia stumbled to 33 for four within three overs of resuming on 18 for three when Smith danced down the pitch to flick Miraz but misjudged the line of the young off-spinner, who later said that he just executed the plan of bowling around the wicket devised by his captain.

A fightback came from Peter Handscomb and Matt Renshaw as the pair handled the bowlers well but their 69-run partnership was broken when Handscomb missed one from Taijul Islam and was rapped on the pads dead in front for 33.  Renshaw was dismissed by a gem of a delivery from Shakib after surviving in the previous over.

Mehedi trapped Matthew Wade in front quickly, although replays showed the ball to be missing leg stump, to claim his third wicket after David Warner and Smith as Australia were reduced to 124 for seven.  Then Shakib came on the scene again to send Glenn Maxwell back to the pavilion as the batsman's confident 23 ended when he was lured out of his crease by Shakib, who turned the ball past the outside edge and Mushfiqur Rahim completed the stumping.

At 144 for eight, Bangladesh were relishing the prospect of a 100-plus lead but a 49-run stand involving Agar and Pat Cummins tested the nerves of the bowlers before Shakib removed Cummins after tea when the right-hander tried to drive through the off-side but was bowled off an inside edge.

Shakib finished the job by taking the last wicket of Josh Hazlewood and Australia were bundled out for 217 runs.

Bangladesh have already won four sessions out of six in the first two days but there is still plenty of work to do as they will need to win a few more sessions to test Australia in the fourth innings on a wicket that is favouring the bowlers greatly.