Tempers flare between Mitchell Starc and Mehidy Hasan Miraz in hostile finish to Day 2 of first Test

Mitchell Starc and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have exchanged words in a hostile finish to a tough Day 2 of Australia’s first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin.

Miraz hit a ball to point on the fifth ball of Starc’s 21st over — the Aussies’ 103rd for the innings — and took off for a single.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Starc and Miraz exchange words in tense finish to Day 2

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Just as bowlers have to avoid the centre strip of the pitch in their follow-through, batters have to do the same while running between wickets.

Miraz looked ahead towards Starc when he took off for the run, but then got caught ball-watching and, by the time he looked where he was going again, was almost face-to-face with the Aussie quick.

Instead of going the long way around Starc and avoiding the centre of the wicket, Miraz took the shortest way home — and umpire Kumar Dharmasena was all over it.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz ran through the protected area in the middle of the pitch. Credit: Channel 7Kumar Dharmasena went straight up to Miraz to warn him. Credit: Channel 7

The experienced ICC official walked straight towards Miraz, before the run was even completed, to warn him against running on the protected area.

Miraz was quick to stick his arm out towards Starc, pleading that he couldn’t see what was in his way while watching the ball.

“It’s my follow-through, not your follow-through. Get off the wicket,” Starc could be heard saying while pointing at the Bangaldesh right-hander.

“I can’t see, I can’t see. I didn’t see,” Miraz explained to Dharmasena.

As Starc walked back to his mark, he could again be heard saying: “You’re not in Bangladesh now, hey?”

Mitchell Starc and Mehidy Hasan Miraz exchange words late on Day 2. Credit: Channel 7

Channel 7’s Ricky Ponting came to the defence of Miraz.

“Yeah, I’m not sure that was on purpose,” Ponting said.

“By the time he looked up, Starc was in his way and he just opted to go the centre of the wicket side of the fast bowler.”

Alister Nicholson added: “It’s been a long, tough day in the dirt for Australia, and frustrations are starting to show.”

Bangladesh are in a commanding position at stumps on Day 2 with a 153-run first-innings lead and still four wickets left in the sheds.

The tourists will head into Day 3 on 6-351, with Miraz unbeaten on 32 and Hasan Mahmum — who took six wickets on Day 1 — looking comfortable on 13 from 76 deliveries.

In just his second Test match, 25-year-old left-hander Tanzid Hasan’s brilliant 101 put the Tigers in position to push for what would be their greatest win in long-form cricket.

Tanzid Hasan has scored a century against Australia to put Bangladesh in a strong position. Credit: AAP

Steve Smith took the first three catches after tea at second slip to equal Joe Root with 218 catches, the most in Test history by a fielder.

Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins all struck after tea with the new cherry but allrounder Miraz and Mahmud could not be budged, although Cameron Green dropped Mehidy off the last ball of the day to sum up his Test so far.

Ponting said it sets up a “nervous” second innings for the Aussies on Day 3.

“I think the overriding feeling will be nervous. I actually really think they’ll be nervous here,” he said before play was finished.

“This is a game that they came in probably everyone expecting they were going to steamroll Bangladesh. Well, right now they are right behind the eight-ball.

“And a couple of their top order batters are already under pressure, and there’s probably no bigger moment in some of their careers than what’s coming up in the next couple of days, so they will be nervous.

“Yes, the wicket looks good; it looks a whole lot better than it was in the first innings. But the amount of work that’s behind some of these nerves that I’m talking about, they just start to nip away as well — 142 runs so far. It’s a long way behind in a test.

“It’s a long way back to get enough runs in front to be safe to win the game. So we’re going to get a really good understanding, I think, of just the mindset and the quality and skill of this Australian batting order, maybe as early as first thing tomorrow morning.”

Cameron Green is under pressure to score runs in the second innigs. Credit: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Left-hander Mominul Haque (49) and Tanzid added 102 for the second wicket with poise and flair after the visitors began proceedings on Friday at 1-96, in reply to Australia’s 198 all out.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (84 off 126 balls) dominated from the start of his knock to continue the momentum against an Australian attack that was accurate, but lacked venom.

Tanzid has cemented himself as a regular in white-ball cricket at the top of the order but against a world-class attack he appears set for an extended run in Tests too.

On 96, he tried to slap Nathan Lyon over cover to bring up his century and lobbed the drive close to deep mid-off. A push past Lyon in the next over secured an extraordinary ton, before he was out lofting down the ground.

The dashing opener’s driving through cover and point was exquisite and his shot selection was outstanding after a shaky start late on the opening day.

He skied a T20-style lofted drive before he had scored in Josh Hazlewood’s first over but Lyon made a mess of the attempted catch as he raced around from point towards cover.

From that moment he reined it in and made the most of a dropped chance by Steve Smith at slip off Lyon when on 62.

The early conditions provided bounce, carry and seam, but Bangladesh’s batters were far more judicious than Australia had been with their shot selection.

One square cut by Shanto, where he stood on his toes and placed a Starc delivery to perfection to the boundary, summed up the methodology of the visitors.

The captain waited for the ball and hit it right under his eyes, rather than reaching out for it as several Australian batters had done.

The century partnership for the second wicket was brought up with the shot of the match, when Tanzid danced down to Beau Webster and lofted his drive straight over the mid-off boundary.

After a first day that was regarded as the best single day of Test cricket played by Bangladesh, against a full-strength Australia, the challenge was always going to be to back it up.

Mominul, 34, took up that challenge. The No.3 has been a wonderfully consistent player in the Test arena and reached double figures for his 17th consecutive innings, dating back to April of last year.

He was on the cusp of his eighth half-century in that period but nicked Hazlewood to fall one run short.

With AAP