Tanzid, Shanto and Mehidy keep Bangladesh in front after gripping day's play

Tea Bangladesh 286 for 3 (Tanzid 101, Shanto 79*, Mominul 49, Mushfiqur 26*, Starc 1-50) lead Australia 198 (Smith 71, Mahmud 6-55) by 88 runs

Tanzid Hasan's maiden Test century headlined Bangladesh's session as Australia's struggles continued into the second afternoon of the Darwin Test.

Bangladesh went to tea on 286 for 3, with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim unbeaten on 79 and 26 respectively and have added 55 for the fourth wicket. Pat Cummins has looked short of ideas and set defensive fields as the runs flowed, but he should feel positive with the new ball just two overs away.

Tanzid kept Bangladesh on top in the contest with his 197-ball 101, which contained eight fours and a six. He became Bangladesh's second Test centurion against Australia - for the first, we have to go all the way back to 2006, when Shahriar Nafees' scored 138 in Fatullah.

Tanzid added 93 runs for the third wicket with Shanto, having already added 102 for the second wicket with Mominul Haque before Mominul fell in the morning.

Bangladesh drove home the advantage of a strong first session by dominating most of the play in the post-lunch period too. Tanzid started the second session with a lofted drive off Josh Hazlewood before bringing up Bangladesh's lead with a glided boundary off Mitchell Starc.

Shanto was not to be left behind, punching Starc through the covers off the back foot before he had the job of chaperoning Tanzid through the nervous 90s. Shanto reached his fifty off the second ball of Nathan Lyon's over before the drinks break, before Tanzid reached his century with a single down the ground. Curiously, no attempt was made to bring the field up as Tanzid slowed down when in sight of his milestone.

Tanzid, however, lasted just one more over after getting to his century when he holed out to Starc off Lyon at long-off. Starc took a good tumbling catch for Australia's third wicket. The batter, though, was the toast of Darwin as he walked off to huge applause from the home crowd.

Mushfiqur couldn't have asked for a better platform to get going, especially when Beau Webster handed him a floaty half-volley for his first boundary. Shanto continued to mix attacking shots with plenty of singles, sweeping Lyon for a well-placed four, before launching him down the ground for a big six.

Bangladesh's early-morning discipline with the bat set them up when the sun fully came out in Darwin. Tanzid and Mominul continued to leave more than they touched as the Australia fast bowlers tempted and teased them outside the off stump. Mominul's flick in the second over got Bangladesh their first boundary of the day, but they struck just two more in the next ten overs.

Tanzid surprised everyone with a six down the ground off Webster, which completed the century stand for the second wicket. Mominul, however, fell in the next over when he edged Josh Hazlewood when just one short of a well-deserved half-century. During the innings, Mominul also got past Tamim Iqbal to become Bangladesh's second-highest run-getter in Tests.

Tanzid survived a second dropped catch shortly afterwards, on 62, when he edged Lyon while attempting a cut; the ball ricocheted off Alex Carey's gloves on to Steven Smith's wrist at slip before hitting the floor. Lyon himself had earlier dropped Tanzid before he had opened his account, on the first day.

Mohammad Isam is Cricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84