Trying to step up the pace, they called for the five-over batting powerplay after the 35th over, but initially it worked in Bangladesh's favour.

Hussey and Clarke ensured the slump did not become a collapse, running hard and choosing their shots wisely to put on 89 in 16.4 overs.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak bowled Watson and had Ponting lbw four overs apart, before another left-armer, Suhrawadi Shuvo, deceived Smith (five), who wasted his chance at No. 4.

At that stage, with Ponting - opening in place of the rested Brad Haddin - in nice touch, it looked as if Australia could post a 400-plus total. But a slump of 3-32 in 7.2 overs slowed the bullet-like pace.

Ferguson (three) failed to seize his chance in his only innings of the tour, surviving an lbw shout before he had scored, then nearly running out Hussey, before spooning an easy catch to mid-off, all in the space of six balls.

It seemed the powerplay would backfire completely, until Mitchell Johnson (41 from 24 balls) spanked a four and two sixes from the final three balls of the 40th over.

Hussey brought up his ton in the 48th over - his first since February 2007 - before falling in the final over.

With Australia coming off commanding wins in the first two matches and Bangladesh never having scored more than 320 in their history, it seemingly put the world's No.1 ranked one-day team in an invincible position.

But Bangladesh's top-order batsmen put the heat on Australia's new skipper Michael Clarke with a superb start to their innings, reaching 1-152 by the halfway mark.



Opening batsman Imrul Kayes (93 from 95 balls) had struggled to five from 41 deliveries in the previous match, but was a changed batsman on Wednesday, stroking the ball beautifully to all parts of the field.



That included sweeping Clarke over the midwicket fence in the 27th over, after the skipper introduced himself to the attack to try to stop the runs flowing so comfortably.But it was debutant Victorian paceman James Pattinson who turned the tide.



Replacing Clarke for the 29th over, Pattinson bowled a tight three-over spell which cost just nine runs to send the required run-rate escalating.



Even more critically, he claimed the key wicket of Kayes, caught behind by Tim Paine in the 31st over.



Pattinson and Paine were both called up for the match, with Brett Lee and Brad Haddin rested.Mitchell Johnson, who had conceded 36 in his opening four overs, returned to the attack to replace Pattinson and snared No.3 Shahriar Nafees (60) in the 35th over.



When allrounder Shane Watson claimed two scalps in the 39th over, Bangladesh were 5-223, needing almost 13 runs per over, and their hopes were dashed.