Australia's decision for a hit and run mission of Bangladesh has backfired spectacularly with the star-studded side facing one of the most humiliating defeats in sporting history.

Australia received a $US500,000 cheque before play for being the top dog in world cricket but a win for Bangladesh over cricket's biggest fish will be priceless.

A Bangladesh victory would be one of the greatest upsets in sport, let alone cricket, and one of the biggest surprises since Australia defeated England in 1877 to start the Ashes.

In reply to Bangladesh's 427, the tourists were 6-145 at stumps on day two with Adam Gilchrist (51no) and Brett Lee (13no) unbeaten at Dhaka's Fatullah Stadium.

The sandy-coloured deck that was considered a batsman's paradise but has started to wear and turned into a minefield for the tourists on Monday afternoon.

Australia's dire situation meant Stuart MacGill's (8-108) career-best figures were quickly forgotten after the fiery legspinner tried to wrestle Australia back into the contest.

MacGill said the side was ready to fight it out and that it would be difficult batting last on the pitch for either team.

"The game is not finished," he said.

"The game is far from finished and although Bangladesh is in a very strong position I know that Australia will fight very hard to firstly get another bowl and then see what happens.

"We are tired. Not only have we been in the field for a day and a half but I think since the Ashes started this is our 16th Test which has been a pretty long summer."

Bangladesh has only managed one Test win in 42 outings, against a second-rate Zimbabwe side, and suffered 24 innings defeats.

The cricketing upstarts refused to obey the form book and were determined to add Australia's Test scalp on top of last year's shock one-day triumph in Cardiff.

The tourists struggled to adjust to the inconsistent and low bounce of the Dhaka pitch, having only finished playing on the bouncier decks of South Africa six days ago.

The Australian hierarchy agreed for the tour to come at the end of an arduous summer and planned so there were no warm-up matches.

Conditions on the subcontinent are notoriously tricky and only allowing two training sessions, one optional, before a Test has clearly not been enough for Australia.

MacGill admitted as much.

"I think if there is any question of fatigue, it's not to do with the work we've done off the field because we're prepared for cricket ... maybe we could have done with a bit more time to get acclimatised."

Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore shared similar sentiments."They've played a lot of cricket but it is always nice to get a little bit of practice in different conditions," he said.

"Even so, we've played well in the last two days and there are still three days to go."

Whatmore conceded his team was in uncharted territory.

"We're very much in the driving seat in this Test match which is not a position we're used to," he said.

"How we handle this in the next day, two days will be interesting because we need to continue to be proactive rather than reactive.

"We're really enjoying the situation at the moment.

"We have had some happy moments in one day cricket but as far as Test matches go, given the opposition we're playing against, it is very, very pleasing."

The Australians looked shoddy in the field and only MacGill's persistence shortened their time out in the boiling conditions.

But that should not take away from the energetic performance from Bangladesh who have taken advantage of more favourable conditions.

Having been forced to field for more than four sessions in stifling humidity, the Australian team would have been delighted to retreat to the cooler confines of the dressing room.

But no sooner had they settled, Matthew Hayden (6) started a top order procession back to the pavilion.

The powerful opener was trapped in front by paceman Mashrafe Mortaza but it was the departure of world No.1 Ricky Ponting that ignited the celebrations of the vocal locals.

Ponting has been in rare form of late but quick Shahadat Hossain had a ball keep low to trap him in front.

With Australia's top two batsmen out of the way, captain Habibul Bashar put his spin twins of Mohammad Rafique (2-40) and Enamul Haque (2-14) to work with dramatic effect.

Damien Martyn (4) tried to cut a ball that kept low and he cannoned it into his middle stump to send Bangladesh's hopes soaring at tea.

It only got better in the last session for the hosts.

Mike Hussey (23) toiled hard before allowing a Rafique ball to breach his defence as Australia slumped to 4-61.

Haque's second delivery was a ripper and it sailed straight past Michael Clarke's (19) bat and onto his off stump before Shane Warne (6) exited after having more lives than a lucky cat.

In more bad news for the Australians, not even the Bangladesh's renowned heavy rains looks likely to save their bacon.

Fine weather is expected for the next three days.

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