A great day of cricket - and that's the way it should be. The fifth day of Test matches should matter, and for too long now, it hasn't. Chittagong awaits a fitting finale tomorrow, with everything on the line. Bangladesh can land a historic Test victory by chasing down the remainder of the runs, while England will be vindicated for making the journey and going ahead with the tour.
The first four days of the Test have proven that the red-ball format of the game is fit and thriving, with two flawed but swashbuckling sides giving their best. It has swung back and forth, and England deserve credit for heading to the subcontinent when - like Australia did - they could have easily stayed at home.
Now, Sabbir Rahman and Taijul Islam could be national heroes within 24 hours.On his Test debut, the former was 59 not out overnight and he inflicted all sorts of damage throughout the day.
The day started disappointingly for the tourists, who with a tail such as theirs, would have wanted more. Broad shouldn't have ran but did, while Batty should be reading a delivery like that better and not be caught plum LBW. It was the sign of what was to come. Cook followed Bangladesh’s lead by opening the bowling with two spinners, Batty and Moeen Ali. But he lacked faith in the spinners, and was conservative in his field placings.
Of course, that can be expected. Moeen has the bite but not the control, while Rashid lacks a bit of both, and Bangladesh raced along at four runs per over for a while before Batty shone, dismissing Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur. Why was he given just two overs after that?
Batty ended the crucial partnership of the innings - Sabbir's 87-run stand for the sixth wicket with Mushfiqur - and England got rid of two debutants, Mehedi Hasan and Kamrul Islam Rabbi, to give them hope. Sabbir was absolutely brilliant, though. Full credit to him. Bangladesh's middle order is stubborn and tough, and is incapable of being run through, despite England's intentions. I think the hosts were shrewd today, performing like it was an ODI match, and their blistering start took a lot of the pressure of the lower order.
Still, it's all to play for. And, whatever happens, it has been a magnificent Test match. Bangladesh are fighting to prove its suitability as a host for international teams, and they are doing more than a fair job. Whatever happens on the final day, Bangladesh can take great encouragement from this match. This is, after all, a team that has lost all eight of their previous Tests against England.