Mehrab Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim shared a record fifth-wicket stand for Bangladesh as they posted 183 runs for four at close on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand on Friday.
Mehrab (79) and Rahim (59) produced an unbroken stand of 139, surpassing the previous best fifth-wicket partnership of 126 made against Sri Lanka in 2001 in Colombo.
Runs came slowly for Bangladesh as New Zealand's bowlers kept a steady line. Skipper Daniel Vettori and paceman Iain O'Brien took two wickets apiece but the tourists failed to take a wicket after tea as Mehrab and Rahim dug in.
The hosts lost Junaid Siddique for a duck from the first ball of the second over of the game when he was trapped leg before by O'Brien with Bangladesh yet to score a run.
Pace bowler O'Brien missed a second consecutive wicket when Rajin Saleh, playing his first ball, was dropped by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.
New Zealand picked up three more wickets in the second session to leave Bangladesh at 101 for four at tea.
Opener Tamim Iqbal (18) was caught behind by McCullum off spinner Vettori, O'Brien bowled Saleh for 20 and Vettori trapped Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful on two to pile the pressure on the hosts.
Scorecard
Bangladesh (1st innings):
Tamim Iqbal c McCullum b Vettori 18
Junaid Siddique lbw O'Brien 0
Rajin Saleh b O'Brien 20
Mohammad Ashraful lbw Vettori 2
Mehrab Hossain not out 79
Mushfiqur Rahim not out 59
Extras: (b-4 lb-1) 5
Total: ( for four wickets, 94 overs) 183
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-34, 3-40, 4-44.
Bowling: Mills 14-6-25-0, O'Brien 17-9-25-2, Oram 15-11-9-0, Ryder 3-1-10-0, Patel 17-5-59-0, Vettori 28-10-50-2.
To bat: Naeem Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Shakib Al Hasan.
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (capt), Daniel Flynn, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Aaron Redmond, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor.
