Hasan Mahmud takes six as Bangladesh rock Australia on opening day of first Test in Darwin

Hasan Mahmud took a career-best haul of 6-55 to help dismiss the hosts for 198.

Australia got the Big Four back together but was overshadowed by the Bangladesh bowlers on Day 1 of the Top End cricket series, with Hasan Mahmud taking a career-best haul of 6-55 to help dismiss the hosts for 198.

Hasan Mahmud took a career-best haul of 6-55 (AFP)

And just to show that the flurry of wickets on Thursday wasn't entirely down to the conditions, Bangladesh's top-order batters combined to reach 96-1 at stumps to cut the first-innings deficit to 102.

Hasan struck in his sixth and seventh overs to remove openers Jake Weatherald (23) and Travis Head (22) after Australia had won the toss and raced to 45 without loss on a green-tinged wicket in the tropical far northern Australian city of Darwin.

From there, Hasan and fellow pacemen Taskin Ahmed (2-55) and Ebadot Hossain (2-39) dominated the first two sessions, bowling with discipline to exploit the conditions and get on top of a batting lineup that was held together primarily by Steve Smith's defiant 71.

Smith was the next-to-last wicket to fall, advancing at Hasan and top-edging a high catch to wicketkeeper Litton Das to end a 109-ball innings that contained seven boundaries and a six.

The day started positively for the hosts, with skipper Pat Cummins winning the toss and electing to bat. Playing just his second test in 13 months, he reunited in the pace attack with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. The longtime frontline quicks were working again with veteran offspinner Nathan Lyon.

A partisan crowd was in full support of Darwin-born Weatherald but he was never really settled and needlessly swiped at a widish ball from Hasan, adding to the pressure on him to retain his place in the lineup.

Head was out in Hasan's next over, chopping on a delivery that was bowled from around the wicket as Australia slipped to 52-2.

Ebadot had Marnus Labuschagne (1) caught by Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and could have had the wicket of Smith early, too, but for a dropped chance at third slip.

Bangladesh took a full toll on the opening morning of its first test match in Australia since 2003, restricting the hosts to 74-4 when allrounder Cameron Green (13) was out immediately before the lunch interval.

Ebadot dismissed Alex Carey (19) after the break and Taskin bowled Beau Webster (12) before Cummins (9) and Starc (1) both nicked off to Hasan before the tea interval.

The wicket of Smith then gave Hasan his third five-wicket haul in test cricket, and the Bangladeshi bowler picked up last-man Lyon (7) to end the Australian innings in 53 overs.

Despite having its first-choice bowling attack reassembled, the Australians weren't able to get more than one breakthrough against Bangladesh.

Shadman Islam scored 20 in quick time before he got a leading edge off left-arm paceman Starc and was caught by Lyon at cover point with the total at 36.

Mominal Haque was 35 and Tanzid Hasan was 32 in an unbeaten 60 run partnership.

The two-test “Top End” series starts a heavy 12-month schedule for the Australians that will feature 20 test matches, including tours to South Africa, India and England.