Moeen Ali survived five reviews and Alastair Cook became England’s most capped Test player on a lively opening day against Bangladesh in Chittagong.
England battled back from 21-3 to reach 258-7 by the close on a dusty, dry surface under a baking hot sun which saw spin employed in just the second over of the day.
Moeen made the most of his reprieves to hit 68, while Jonny Bairstow was put down early in a fluent innings which saw him reach 52. Eighteen-year-old Mehedi Hasan took 5-64 on his debut for the hosts.
England’s debutant Ben Duckett, who received his cap from Michael Atherton before play, had slashed Shafiul Islam for four behind point and been busy at the crease before Mehedi accounted for the left-hander with a delivery that pitched on leg stump and gripped sharply to take the top of off.
The score was still on 18 when Cook departed for four, after a stroke of ill fortune. Attempting to sweep Shakib Al Hasan, the ball struck his wrist and looped over his shoulder to cannon into the stumps.
Gary Ballance added just one to the score before he was dismissed. Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim smartly reviewed a not out LBW decision, replays revealing the ball had flicked the pad before hitting the bat to hand Mehedi his second scalp.
With England wobbling at 21-3, Joe Root and Moeen Ali steadied the ship, the former taking the attack to the spinners, and hitting seamer Kamrul Islam for back-to-back boundaries, the second a delicious extra cover drive.
The pair put on 60 to guide England to lunch on 81-3 but Moeen was living a charmed life. He survived two reviews before the interval, the first as Bangladesh went upstairs to see if Taijul Islam's not out delivery would be overturned, the second reviewed by Moeen himself, after he’d been given out to Shakib.
Remarkably, Moeen survived another two reviews in the first over after lunch, both times having been given out by umpire Kumar Dharmasena off the bowling of Shakib. It was five after another review from Mehedi Hasan was denied, meaning Bangladesh had none left.
By that time, Root had gone, caught by Sabbir Rahman at slip after a thin edge from Mehedi Hasan had ballooned up off wicketkeeper Mushfiqur’s knee. Ben Stokes looked in good touch before he hesitated at a fullish Shakib ball that gripped and sneaked between bat and pad to bash into the off stump.
Moeen moved past 50 after a flurry of strokes, one of which saw him charge Mehedi and whack him back over his head for six, with a potent square drive bringing up the landmark.
He had reached 68 by the time Mehedi took his revenge, provoking a nick behind with a delivery that gripped sharply off the surface, Mushfiqur taking a fine catch behind the stumps.
Despite being dropped at slip early on, Bairstow looked in fine touch as he punished anything loose to register his 11th Test match half century and go past 2,000 Test runs in the process.
He was just two short of passing Andy Flower’s record for the most Test runs scored by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year before one from Mehedi sneaked through an attempted flick to the legside and bowled him for 52.
Chris Woakes compiled a fine 36 and Adil Rashid was unbeaten on five as Bangladesh tried in vain for an eighth wicket after taking the new ball and managing to squeeze in two extra overs before the close.
Both Bangladesh and England return to Cardiff next year, with both nations facing New Zealand in the Welsh capital during the ICC Champions Trophy. England will also take on South Africa on 25 June in the third and final NatWest International T20. The remaining ICC Champions Trophy tickets go back on sale on 27 October, whilst IT20 tickets are available now priced from £35 for adults £10 for juniors - CLICK HERE to buy