Lucky for Ricky Ponting that he recanted his belief that Bangladesh didn't deserve Test status on Friday.

Any queries about the nation's worthiness on the global stage were extinguished on the opening day of the first Test as Bangladesh clobbered Australia to be 5-355 at stumps at Fatullah Stadium.

The surprising performance was powered by marketing student Shahriar Nafees (138) who put on an impressive advertising campaign for the unfashionable side with his bat on Sunday.

He and captain Habibul Bashar (76) put on 187 runs for the second wicket as the hosts cruised to 1-238 at one stage before recalled duo Stuart MacGill (3-82) and Jason Gillespie (2-36) limited the damage.

It was understood to be Nafees's first time in triple figures in an organised game of cricket and the knock is sure to turn him into an instant national hero.

Nafees had made 152 runs at 19 in four Tests before his breakthrough performance.

The 20-year-old left-hander brought up his hundred in his hometown by turning the costly Shane Warne (0-112 off 20 overs) around the corner for four and celebrated in jubilant fashion by squeezing his skipper in a tight embrace in front of a delirious crowd.

Nafees's score was the third highest knock in his nation's Test history.

Rajin Saleh (35no) and Khaled Mashud (2no) were the unbeaten batsmen at the end of the first day of Australia's debut Test on Bangladeshi soil.

The Tigers are small fry in cricketing terms having only recorded one win in 42 Tests, against a second-string Zimbabwe side, and weren't expected to trouble the world's No.1 side.

Nafees and Bashar took full toll of a dream wicket for batting and an Australian side not at its sharpest, having landed in the country three days ago from its successful South African tour.

The lack of practice in unfamiliar conditions came back to bite the star-studded outfit as Bangladesh enjoyed one of its finest sporting days.

Australian coach John Buchanan warned about the fatigue factor with this series coming at the tail of a packed schedule and he was spot on.

The Australian bowling was more wayward than usual and the players looked hot and bothered in the oppressive conditions on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Bangladesh players had spoken pre-match about the confidence they gained from the upset one-day win over Australia in Cardiff last June.

But not even the most optimistic local supporter could have foreseen the effort as Warne was carted in his first Test against Bangladesh.

Openers Javed Omar (27) and Nafees ambushed the tourists from the outset and, despite a little luck, they brought up an unbeaten half century stand off 9.3 overs.

The pair saw off Brett Lee's opening spell, a reasonable achievement for any opening combination in world cricket let alone the lowest ranked team.

Even if Nafees's best cherry off the speedster was on his helmet, the pair looked in control before Gillespie's introduction.

The recalled South Australian struck with his fifth ball which jagged back in and trapped Omar in front.

It was expected the Bangladesh batting lineup would then fold but instead Bashar and Nafees thrived.

Bashar survived an edge on 36 off a big turning ball from Warne that brushed wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist's glove and the ball went wide of first slip Michael Clarke.

Then just after lunch Nafees enjoyed a life on 66 with Warne grassing a difficult chance to his left at slip off Gillespie's bowling.

Bashar fell just before the tea break, top-edging an attempted pull shot off MacGill and the tweaker captured Nafees' scalp as the left-hander missed the ball trying to sweep.

Workhorse Gillespie again proved his value on flat decks by removing Mohammad Ashraful (29) and MacGill picked up Aftab Ahmed for the same score with a rank full toss that was hit straight to Matthew Hayden at midwicket.

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