Dhaka – Alastair Cook and Ben Duckett knocked off 100 with an unbroken opening stand as England made a brilliant start to their pursuit of 273 for victory over Bangladesh in the second and final test on Sunday.
Captain Cook, unbeaten on 39 at tea, and Duckett had failed to give England a decent start in their three previous innings in the series but the pair of lefthanders stood up when it mattered.
Duckett was dropped at slip on 12 and made Bangladesh pay with his maiden test half-century, his unbeaten 56 studded with seven boundaries and a six.
Resuming the third day on 152 for three, the hosts, who trail 1-0 in the series and have never beaten England in a test, were dismissed for 296 in the second session. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid took four for 52.
On a surface offering ample turn for the spinners, England will need to significantly improve on their highest successful fourth-innings chase in Asia (209) to win the match and if they fall short, will rue a string of missed chances.
Imrul Kayes, unbeaten overnight, and Shakib Al Hasan added 48 for the fourth wicket during a chance-filled partnership in the morning at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
Kayes was dropped twice before off-spinner Moeen Ali finally trapped him leg before for 78.
Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow missed a stumping chance with Shakib on 16 before Duckett grassed a simple catch in the deep with the batsman on 23.
England also missed two review opportunities with replays showing the umpire's decisions would have been overturned and Shakib continued to frustrate the tourists with a stroke-filled innings of 41.
Bangladesh lost Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim on the same score, with leg-spinner Rashid breaking the fifth-wicket stand in his first over of the day.
All-rounder Ben Stokes has troubled Mushfiqur (nine) throughout the series and once again had the righthander edge to Cook.
Sabbir Rahman and Shuvagata Hom continued to attack the bowlers in a brisk stand of 30. A few heated words were exchanged between players from both sides during the partnership, prompting the umpires to intervene.
Rashid ended the stand with a straight delivery trapping Sabbir leg before for 15. Hom remained unbeaten on 25, which included four boundaries.
Rashid picked up the last two wickets in Bangladesh's innings after lunch, while Stokes finished with three for 52.
– Reuters