Bangladesh v England: Jonny Bairstow's milestone knock as Ali's '˜dirty runs' rescue England

England ended day one of the first Test on a respectable 258-7, recovering from 21-3 and 106-5 thanks to battling half-centuries from Moeen and Jonny Bairstow on a pitch that offered considerable turn from the start.

Both batsmen led charmed lives, however, as Moeen had to overturn three on-field lbw decisions against him, while Bangladesh spurned two reviews on the left-hander, who went on to top score with 68 from 170 balls.

Baristow went past 1,000 calendar runs for the year in his 52 from 126 balls, but he benefited from being dropped on 13.

Moeen said: “It was very tough, it was the hardest 60 I’ve ever made. They bowled well, they bowled very accurately – and it’s not just about surviving, it’s about scoring runs.

“I didn’t think it was going to spin as much. You saw the new ball, it spun straight away and it’s not easy to play against, especially the new ball as not every ball spins. After that it spun, but more regularly which makes it a bit easier.

“We said at one point that 250 might even be a good score, but Jonny and myself had a crucial partnership. We are going to have to be quite greedy (on day two), and hopefully get close to 300.

“They were dirty runs today. It was a massive mental challenge, especially with the reviews. I kept missing the ball and it hit my pad. I couldn’t figure out why. It was a good mental challenge.”

Moeen was given out lbw by umpire Kumar Dharmasena three times in the space of six deliveries from Shakib Al Hasan either side of the lunch interval.

However, a faint nick rescued him the first time and technology bailed him out twice more, with ball tracking showing the next ‘out’ decision to be missing the stumps, while two balls later the impact was outside the line.

Moeen, who credited Dharmasena a couple of years ago with improving his off-spin, said: “We are normally pretty tight, but we didn’t speak for a session. It was a tough pitch to umpire, but what can I say? The guy gave me out three times!

“I knew I had hit the first one or gloved it, there was definitely something there. (Joe) Root saved me on the other two.

“You have the reviews to take, so it’s not luck. The way I was set up, I was trying to bat on off stump or on middle and off, so there’s less chance of me being out lbw.”

Moeen was moved up the order to five so England could accommodate three spinners and as many seamers, with the tourists also including Adil Rashid and Gareth Batty.

Moeen knows the expectation will be on the spin trio in the sub-continent this winter, where England will play seven Tests – five against India following this two-match series – before Christmas.

He added: “We have Batty, myself and Rash who, hopefully, can bowl these guys out. There’s a lot of pressure on us to deliver on these wickets and, with the winter ahead, we are going to have to get used to that pressure.”

Mehedi made a fantastic start to life as international cricketer, snaring five of England’s top seven, which included ending the resistance of Moeen and Bairstow in the final session.

He said: “I am never going to forget this day. I got a five-wicket haul on my Test debut. It is also a matter of fortune that I got those against England.

“I never really thought I would get five wickets. I just wanted to do something for the team and get settled in at this level.”

From 18 for no wicket, England soon lost debutant Ben Duckett, captain Alastair Cook and Gary Ballance as Bangladesh, who included only two pacemen in their line-up, turned straight away to off-break bowler Mehedi Hasan.

The 18-year-old, one of three Tigers debutants alongside all-rounder Sabbir Rahman and seamer Kamrul Islam Rabbi, bowled Duckett, Cook’s ninth opening partner following the retirement of Andrew Strauss four years ago, for 14.

Cook became England’s most capped Test player on his 134th appearance but he made just four before playing on to his own stumps attempting to sweep Shakib Al Hasan in the next over.

Ballance was next to go as England lost three wickets for three runs, the Yorkshire left-hander beaten by an arm ball from Mehedi, with the umpire’s not out decision overturned on review.

Root initially led the recovery from 21-3 with trademark counter-attacking verve but he was out for 40 when he nicked Mehedi into the hands of slip, via a deflection from wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, while Ben Stokes was bowled by Shakib from one that spun sharply back in.

Ali and Bairstow put on 88 in 27 overs before the former finally perished, having made 68 off 170 balls, and the Yorkshireman was the final wicket to ball, bowled by Mehedi after having made 52 off 126 balls and taken the scoere to 237.

Chris Woakes and Rashid were left to take england to the close.