India hold upper hand despite spirited Bangladesh chase

Agencies Published September 22, 2024

Indian batter Rishabh Pant (second R) celebrates with team-mate Shubman Gill after completing his century during the first Test against Bangladesh at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.—AFP

CHENNAI: Centuries from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant helped India close in on a comprehensive victory despite a spirited start to Bangladesh’s chase for their mammoth target of 515 on day three of the opening Test between the neighbouring countries on Saturday.

Bangladesh began well but some smart catching by the Indians and three wickets for home hero Ravichandran Ashwin rattled the tourists.

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (51) and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (five) were in the middle when bad light forced early stumps with Bangladesh reaching 158-4, still needing a hefty 357 runs to win.

Earlier, Shubman Gill struck an unbeaten 119 and Rishabh Pant (109) smashed a hundred in his comeback Test before India declared their second innings on 287-4.

Pant and Gill put on 167 runs for the fourth wicket to ram home India’s advantage in the second session after they bundled out Bangladesh for 149 on day two at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

India were hitting Bangladesh with some “quality bowling”, Bangladesh batting coach David Hemp told reporters.

“Very confident side, especially at home, so you are going to be challenged,” he said. “So it’s a case of how do we match that. You have to look to score and that’s what we just reinforce... to the batting group, to trust their strengths.”

Faced with an onerous task in their second innings, Bangladesh openers Zakir Hasan (33) and Shadman Islam (35) decided to counter-attack in their 62-run stand.

Yashasvi Jaiswal took a stunning left-handed catch in the slips to remove Zakir before Ashwin, who smashed a match-defining century in the first innings, produced a three-wicket burst.

Ashwin dismissed Shadman for 35 and the veteran off-spinner kept up the charge when he bowled left-handed Mominul Haque for 13 with a flighted delivery that also turned. He then had Mushfiqur Rahim caught out, also for 13.

While wickets tumbled around him, Najmul stood firm to reach his fifty with his third six and, with fellow left-hander Shakib for company, the two saw off the day in fading light.

After early morning rain earlier, Gill signalled India’s positive intent when the elegant right-hander clobbered off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz for two sixes in an over to reach his fifty.

Pant took a more conventional approach, a single off the spinner, to bring up his half-century in his first test since a horrific car accident in late 2022.

Bangladesh squandered a chance to break the stand when Najmul dropped Pant on 72.

Rubbing salt into the wound, Pant hit Shakib for back-to-back fours in the left-arm spinner’s next over and beat Gill to the 100 mark.

The 26-year-old took off his helmet and raised his bat to acknowledge a standing ovation from the weekend crowd.

Pant smashed 13 fours and four sixes in his sixth Test hundred before giving a return catch to Mehidy.

Gill, whose fifth Test hundred included 10 fours and four sixes, could not be dislodged though.

“Having got out the way I got out in the first innings, I was obviously very disappointed,” Gill said of his first-innings duck. “But it further motivated me to be able to spend a lot of time at the crease and put extra value on my wicket.”

India are looking to extend their lead at the top of the World Test Championship rankings as they begin a fresh Test season of 10 matches.

Bangladesh have never beaten India in a Test.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA (1st Innings) 376

BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 149

INDIA (2nd Innings, overnight 81-3):

Y. Jaiswal c Das b Rana 10

R. Sharma c Zakir b Taskin 5

S. Gill not out 119

V. Kohli lbw Mehidy 17

R. Pant c&b Mehidy 109

K. L. Rahul not out 22