Chittagong – Bangladesh lost both opening batsmen before lunch chasing 286 for victory against England on the fourth day of the opening Test here on Sunday.
The hosts reached 86 for two wickets at the break, needing another 200 runs to win the first of a two-match series. Mominul Haque (19) and Mahmudullah (4) were unbeaten at the crease for Bangladesh.
England batted for about 20 minutes in the morning, adding 12 runs to their overnight total of 228 for nine before they were bundled out for 240 in their second innings.
Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan finished with five wickets for 85 runs.
Openers Tamim Iqbal (9) and Imrul Kayes (43) gave Bangladesh a decent start on a Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium pitch that offered plenty of turn and bounce for the spinners.
England captain Alastair Cook started with spin from both ends but did not see success until the 10th over when Tamim was out to a bat-pad catch to Moeen Ali.
Kayes was the more attacking of the pair and he continued batting positively, adding 46 for the second wicket with Mominul, who was dropped on four by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow off Moeen.
The left-handed Kayes was not afraid to hit the ball in the air against the spinners and also employed sweep shots, both conventional and reverse, to good effect to find six boundaries in his 61-ball knock.
However, he was out shortly before the lunch break trying to sweep leg-spinner Adil Rashid, the ball hitting his glove and looping to Joe Root at slip for a simple catch.
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Peter Rutherford)
– Reuters