CAIRNS, Australia, 26 July 2003 — Bangladesh, the world’s lowest ranked Test team, punished top-ranked Australia on the opening day of the second Test here yesterday when they scored their second highest first innings total.

Confounding the critics who predicted they would be humiliated on a pitch which had been expected to be fast and furious, the visitors reached 289 for eight wickets at Bundaberg Stadium after being sent in by Steve Waugh when he won the toss.

The only time Bangladesh have done better was against India in Dhaka in 2000-01 when they scored 400.

Not out at stumps were ninth-wicket pair Tapash Baisya (21) and Mashrafe Mortaza (seven), who had high hopes of guiding their side past the 300-run mark today.

Only a five-wicket haul by leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, deputizing for the banned Shane Warne, kept the home side in the contest as Bangladesh attacked defiantly.

MacGill claimed 5-77 from 24 probing overs — a marvelous effort by a slow bowler on a first-day pitch which was supposed to be a fast bowler’s delight.

He praised the Bangladeshis for the patient way they built partnerships.

“I think they read from a different script than I did this morning,” MacGill said.

“The thing that was really impressive today was the fact they were so patient. They were really committed to their plan — if you want to talk about improvements that’s a fantastic improvement.

“I don’t think at any stage we thought ‘This is going horribly wrong’,” MacGill added. “But we realized we would have to really work at it.

“This game is not going to be over in three days — barring some exceptional performances later in the game — it will be a good game of cricket.”

Hannan Sarkar top-scored with 76, including nine boundaries, from 136 balls.

Sarkar, whose knock was a career-highest, was thrilled with his team’s performance. “We made that 400 in our very first Test — against India — and after that this is our greatest day in Test cricket because it’s against Australia,” he said.

In 20 Tests Bangladesh had struggled to progress past 200 runs in an inning. Strong support came from Habibul Bashar (46 from 79 balls), Sanwar Hossain (46 from 91 balls) and Khaled Mashud (44 from 115 deliveries).

Mashud and Baisya combined late in the day for a record eighth-wicket partnership for their country.

They collected 51, beating the previous best of 46 by Akram Khan and Enam-ul-Hoque against Zimbabwe in 2000-01. Speed pair Jason Gillespie (2-58) and Brett Lee (1-88) were the other wicket-takers for Australia. New-ball bowler Glenn McGrath, rated among the world’s best, made no impression with his 16 overs.

Play Abandoned in England Vs. South Africa Test

In Birmingham, England, rain caused play on the second day of the first Test between England and South Africa at Edgbaston to be abandoned yesterday without a ball being bowled.

Umpires Daryl Harper of Australia and India’s Srinavasaraghavan Venkataraghavan called it a day at 1415GMT.

Play is due to restart, weather permitting, at 0945GMT today.