INDORE: Opener Mayank Agarwal smashed an epic 243 and forged two century-plus partnerships to flatten Bangladesh and put India firmly in control of the opening Test in Indore on Friday.

The 28-year-old clobbered eight sixes and 28 fours in his career-best knock before holing out in the deep as India finished day two on a commanding 493-6 for an overall lead of 343 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium.

Ravindra Jadeja, who made a breezy 60 not out, and Umesh Yadav (25 not out) will return on Saturday hoping to bat Bangladesh out of the contest.

India plundered 407 runs on the second day, while Bangladesh were left to rue dropping Agarwal on 32 at slip on Thursday, when Imrul Kayes spilled a routine catch off Abu Jayed’s bowling.

Abu struck twice in the first 30 minutes after India resumed the day on 86-1.

The right-arm paceman sent back Cheteshwar Pujara — who made an uncharacteristically aggressive 54 — and then trapped Virat Kohli lbw for a two-ball duck, the great right-hander’s 10th in 83 Tests.

Ajinkya Rahane walked in to join Agarwal and they milked the jaded Bangladesh attack with ridiculous ease during their 190-run partnership.

Agarwal was adjudged lbw to Mehidy Hasan on 82 but challenged the decision which was overturned after replays suggested the ball would have missed the stumps.

The nimble-footed opener flicked Ebadat Hossain to bring up his hundred but Rahane missed his century and fell for 86.

Agarwal scored his second double hundred in four Tests and beat his previous best of 215, set six weeks ago against South Africa. It was his

sixth 50-plus score in 12 innings since making Test debut in Australia late last year.

A prolific scorer in domestic cricket, Agarwal made 76 on his debut in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne as India went on to record their first-ever test series victory Down Under.

This was also Agarwal’s third Test hundred, a milestone he crossed before tea on Friday. As he cruised past the 150-mark, Kohli egged on the opener from the dressing room to push for a double century.

Agarwal reached his second double hundred in style, hitting Mehidy over long-on for a massive six, and celebrated with raised arms looking skywards.

Having lived up to his captain’s expectation, Agarwal smiled back at Kohli, who flashed three fingers suggesting the opener should go for a triple hundred.

That was not to be though as Agarwal’s slog-sweep off Mehidy found Abu at deep midwicket. Agarwal added 123 runs with Jadeja.

Abu claimed 4-108 but ended up as one of the four Bangladesh bowlers who bled 100-plus runs.

“We had lost two wickets, so the idea was to be cautious, but not too cautious,” Agarwal told broadcaster Star Sports of their batting approach. “Once we got a good partnership, it was all about building. I was watching the ball well, so thought ‘why not’ for the big shots. We haven’t spoken about declaration, but we are in the driver’s seat.”

It was always going to be a difficult tour for Bangladesh.

Captain Shakib Al Hasan was banned from all cricket for two years with one year of that suspended after the all-rounder was found to have breached the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption code.

They are also without opener Tamim Iqbal, who has opted out of the tour to be with his pregnant wife, and all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin, who is nursing a back injury.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 150 (Mushfiqur Rahim 43; Mohammed Shami 3-27).

INDIA (1st Innings, overnight 86-1):

M.A. Agarwal c Abu b Mehidy 243
R.G. Sharma c Liton b Abu 6
C.A. Pujara c sub b Abu 54
V. Kohli lbw b Abu 0
A.M. Rahane c Taijul b Abu 86
R.A. Jadeja not out 60
W.P. Saha b Ebadat 12
U.T. Yadav not out 25

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-3, NB-3) 7
TOTAL (for six wkts, 114 overs) 493
FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-105, 3-119, 4-309, 5-432, 6-454. TO BAT: R. Ashwin, I. Sharma, Mohammed Shami. BOWLING (to-date): Ebadat Hossain 31-5-115-1 (3w); Abu Jayed 25-3-108-4 (3nb); Taijul Islam 28-4-120-0; Mehidy Hasan 27-0-125-1; Mahmudullah 3-0-24-0.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2019