Bangladesh vs India 1st Test Review
KL Rahul-led team India took the lead 1-0 in the first of the two-match Test series after winning the contest in Chattogram by 188 runs. Speaking about the match, opting to bat first, India were under the pump in the first session of Day 1 as the side lost the top order swiftly which put them on the backfoot. However, vice-captain Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer resurrected the innings as the two batters registered their respective half-centuries and put up a 149-run stand for the fifth wicket. Despite having a sluggish start, the side ended up with 278/6 on Day 1.
Heading to the second day, India gained control of the contest as they showcased commendable performances with both the bat and the ball. India concluded their batting innings for 404 runs after Kuldeep Yadav and veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin scored 40 and 58 runs respectively. In response, the Bangla Tigers lost their opener Najmul Hossain Shanto for a golden duck which was followed by a small partnership between Zakir Hasan (20) and Litton Das (24). However, the visitors made things complicated for Bangladesh as they yet again picked up wickets at quick intervals. Mushfiqur Rahim added 28 runs as he tried his best to keep the scoreboard ticking for Bangladesh but his dismissal by Kuldeep meant that the side was reduced to 102/7. Eventually, the hosts finished at 133/8 and still trail by 271 runs.
Bangladesh were bundled out for a mere 150 runs on the board thanks to Kuldeep Yadav, who returned with fabulous bowling figures of 5/40. India in their second batting innings displayed sheer dominance as Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara registered magnificent centuries. Soon after Pujara registered his fastest century in Test cricket, skipper Rahul decided to declare as they set a daunting target of 513 runs for the rival side to chase on Day 3.
Day 4 saw Bangladesh’s Zakir Hasan smashing a century (100) on his debut and sharing a 124-run opening partnership with Najmul Hossain Shanto. However, after Ashwin got the major breakthrough of Zakir, India then did not look back and began scalping wickets every now and then. Axar Patel relished a terrific innings with the ball ending up with 3/50 in 27 overs which included ten maidens.
India required four wickets to seal the deal while the hosts required 241 runs to win the contest. After losing a wicket early, Bangla skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan were unbeaten at the crease as they were on the lookout to pull off a miraculous win. However, Kuldeep Yadav castled Shakib for 84 runs which then gave India the momentum to pick the rest two wickets. With this, India concluded the match under an hour and took the lead in the series 1-0.
Top Performers from the match:
Cheteshwar Pujara
The red-ball specialist marked his return as the deputy of the side and was sensational with the bat despite facing a lot of flak for the role in the side. In both innings that he took the field, Pujara registered a 90 and an unbeaten 102 respectively in the first and second innings. He played a vital role in resurrecting India’s innings on Day 1 and helped propel the side over 400.
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav was adjudged as the Man of the Match for his magnificent performances both with the bat and ball. He scored a vital knock of 40 runs in the first innings coming down the order. Furthermore, he relished bowling figures of 5/40 and 3/73 which handed the side major advantage throughout the course of the contest.
What’s next for both teams?
Both sides will next lock horns on December 22 at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur as India will look to register a series win. While Bangladesh are still on the lookout to find their first win against India in the red-ball contest.
