SYLHET, Bangladesh: Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto hit his third Test century in four innings to put Bangladesh on course for a strong total in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Sylhet on Thursday.
The hosts reached 212-3 at stumps on the third day, leading New Zealand by 205 runs, with Najmul unbeaten on 104.
Former captain Mushfiqur Rahim made an unbeaten 43 and put on 96 runs in the unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Najmul.
Najmul, who scored a century in both innings of Bangladesh's previous Test against Afghanistan in June, also shared 90 runs with Mominul Haque for the third wicket.
The left-hander has now become the first Bangladeshi cricketer to score a hundred on his debut as Test captain.
He took his hundred, his fourth in Tests, with a single off Ajaz Patel in 191 balls before signing off the day in style with a boundary in the last ball.
The 25-year-old has struck 10 fours so far in his innings.
He was however involved in two run-outs on the day, with the last being Mominul, who made 40.
Najmul and Mominul helped Bangladesh recover from 26-2 after New Zealand made 317 in their first innings to take a slender seven-run lead.
Mominul praised Najmul for his "outstanding" batting.
"He knows very well about his game and has a clear mind," Mominul said.
Patel, the only New Zealand bowler with some success on the day, trapped opener Zakir Hasan leg-before for 17.
Tim Southee directed a straight drive by Najmul onto the stumps at the non-striking end to run out Mahmudul Hasan for eight next over.
Mominul, who joined Najmul in the rescue act, was also the hero for Bangladesh with the ball, having taken the last two New Zealand wickets in the morning.
The tourists, replying to Bangladesh's first-innings 310, resumed on 266-8, still 44 runs behind.
Southee and Kyle Jamieson frustrated Bangladesh for more than an hour to share 52 runs for the ninth wicket, until left-arm spinner Mominul removed them both in the same over.
Mominul trapped Jamieson leg-before for 23 to leave New Zealand 316-9, and then bowled Southee four balls later for 35 to finish with career-best figures of 3-4.
"We definitely didn't think it was going to be easy to rock up in the second innings and knock them over," Jamieson said.
"We've still got some work to do tomorrow and try and chip out a few more."
Southee hit three boundaries in his 62-ball stay.
The two-match series is the beginning of a new cycle in the World Test Championship for both teams. — AFP
scoreboard
Bangladesh 1st innings 310 all out
New Zealand first innings
Tom Latham c Nayeem b Taijul 21
Devon Conway c Shahadat b Mehidy 12
Kane Williamson b Taijul 104
Henry Nicholls c Nurul b Shoriful 19
Daryl Mitchell st Nurul b Taijul 41
Tom Blundell c Nurul b Nayeem 6
Glenn Phillips c Najmul b Mominul 42
Kyle Jamieson lbw Mominul 23
Ish Sodhi c Shahadat b Taijul 0
Tim Southee b Mominul 35
Ajaz Patel not out 1
Extras (b8, lb5) 13
Total (all out; 101.5 overs) 317
Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-44, 3-98, 4-164, 5-175, 6-253, 7-262, 8-264, 9-316
Bowling: Shoriful 13-2-54-1, Mehidy 22-3-64-1, Taijul 39-9-109-4, Nayeem 24-3-73-1, Mominul 3.5-1-4-3
Bangladesh second innings
Mahmudul Hasan run out 8
Zakir Hasan lbw Patel 17
Najmul Hossain not out 104
Mominul Haque run out 40
Mushfiqur Rahim not out 43
Total (three wickets; 68 overs) 212
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-26, 3-116
Bowling: Southee 12-3-22-0, Jamieson 9-3-19-0, Patel 23-1-94-1, Phillips 12-4-36-0, Sodhi 12-1-41-0
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