Just a week ago, Bangladesh were bowled out twice in an innings defeat by a Cricket Australia XI, raising plenty of questions about how they would cope when the real Test began.

A start like this would have been difficult to imagine.

Bangladesh dismissed Australia for 198 on Thursday, then reached 96 for 1 by stumps on the opening day of the first Test in Darwin. They have already erased almost half of Australia's total and still have their middle order to come.

Hasan Mahmud set up the day with a career-best 6 for 55, while Ebadot Hossain and Taskin Ahmed took two wickets each.

Australia, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, were never able to build a substantial innings on a surface that had about 4 millimeters of grass at the start of play.

Jake Weatherald and Travis Head fell to Hasan in the first 14 overs, and Marnus Labuschagne was out for 1 to Ebadot. Australia were 74 for 4 at lunch, with Steven Smith the only batter offering sustained resistance.

Smith made 71 from 109 balls, but Australia's innings fell away after his partnership with Alex Carey had taken the score to 129.

Hasan returned late in the innings to remove Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Smith and Nathan Lyon, completing his six-for as Australia were bowled out in 53 overs.

Bangladesh then made the most of their opportunity.

Shadman Islam fell for 20 after adding 36 with Tanzid Hasan, but Australia struggled to make another breakthrough.

Tanzid and Mominul Haque put on an unbeaten 60 for the second wicket, seeing Bangladesh through the final 15.4 overs without a further wicket.

Tanzid finished on 32 not out from 67 balls and Mominul on 35 from 49. Bangladesh scored at four runs an over against an attack featuring Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.

There is a long way to go in the Test, and Australia will have plenty of opportunities to recover.

But after the tour-match defeat last week, Bangladesh could hardly have asked for a better first day.