A 99-run stand from the ninth-wicket pair gave England an unlikely first innings lead, but Bangladesh close the day 128 runs ahead.
Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid demonstrated why England’s ‘tail’ is so much admired, racking up the highest partnership of the innings for the ninth wicket.
Coming to the crease when England were wobbling at 144-8, the pair fought back admirably, batting together for 223 balls in a record-breaking 99-run stand – the highest-ever partnership for an England ninth-wicket pair in Asia.
The partnership was eventually broken by the second new ball but crucial knocks of 46 and 44*respectively guided England to 244, and they entered the final session with a lead of 24 runs.
Bangladesh came racing out of the blocks after tea, openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes motoring to 50 from just 55 deliveries. But Zafar Ansari’s first Test match wicket put the brakes on, with first innings centurion Tamim Iqbal caught by Alastair Cook at leg slip for 40.
Ben Stokes then took England’s second wicket just two balls later. The hero of Chittagong struck in his second over, getting one to rear up on Mominul Haque, who edged to slip where Cook again took the catch.
As has happened so often in this series, the momentum swung rapidly: suddenly England were in the ascendancy once more. But left-handed opener Imrul Kayes and Mahmudullah steadied Bangladesh's ship. Mahmudullah made 47 before Ansari bowled him with the final ball of the day, while Kayes will resume on 59 on Day Three.
England hadn’t made the best of starts to Day Two. In fact, it took Bangladesh’s teenage spin star Mehedi Hasan just six deliveries to take his first wicket. Moeen Ali mistimed his sweep shot, looking to go on the attack early, and Mehedi bowled him through the gate for 10.
Just seven balls later, Stokes departed for a four-ball duck thanks to a fine short leg catch from Mominul Haque. Taijul Islam found some early turn and bounce, Stokes stayed back in his crease and prodded to short leg where Haque got down quickly to take the catch and give Bangladesh the perfect start.
Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root enjoyed a notable partnership, taking England from a precarious 69-5 to 114-5, before Bairstow missed a quicker ball from Mehedi that cannoned into his front pad. An easy decision for umpire Kumar Dharmasena as the ’keeper departed for 24.
Root remained stoic at the other end to reach his 23rd Test half-century – and his first against Bangladesh – in a battling innings. He batted superbly against the unrelenting spin in tough conditions for a crucial 56, before misjudging a straight one from Taijul and being trapped in front.
Debutant Ansari, who’s opened for Surrey in the County Championship before, came in at eight and showed flashes of batting capability before edging to second slip on 13 and giving Mehedi his second five-wicket haul in only his second Test match.
England looked to be in trouble at lunch - eight wickets down and still 57 runs behind - before Woakes and Rashid’s magical partnership ensued. The Bangladesh bowlers appeared to have no answer to their resilient innings – that is, until the new ball became available. Woakes was caught at leg slip to give Mehedi his sixth wicket of the innings, with Steven Finn was the final man to fall, caught behind after edging a Taijul delivery.
In this most topsy-turvy of matches, it really is anyone’s game. Roll on Day Three…