Mehrab Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim shared a record fifth-wicket stand for Bangladesh who reached 183 runs for four at the 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. The second Test starts in Dhaka from Oct. 25.
