A fine performance by Indian pacers, particularly Jasprit Bumrah, helped the hosts secure a tight advantage at the end of Day Two of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai on Friday. At the end of Day Two, India was at 81/3, with Shubman Gill (33*) and Rishabh Pant (12*) unbeaten, leading Bangladesh by 308 runs.
Bangladesh began the final session at 112/8, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz (12*) joined by Taskin Ahmed. Miraz had brief partnerships with Taskin Ahmed (11) and Nahid Rana (11), but Bangladesh was skittled out for 149 in 47.1 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj claiming the last two wickets.
Bumrah (4/50) was the leading bowler for India. Akash Deep and Ravindra Jadeja also took 2/19 each in their spells, while Mohammed Siraj finished with 2/30 in 10.1 overs. Bangladesh trailed India by 227 runs, having made 376 runs in their first innings.
In their second innings, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal started off well, with Jaiswal hitting Taskin for two fours in the opening over. However, their partnership was cut short when Rohit edged a delivery to Zakir Hasan at slips, giving Taskin his wicket after just five balls. India was at 15/1 in 2.3 overs.
Jaiswal’s stay at the crease was also brief, as pacer Nahid Rana removed him for 10 in 17 balls, with two fours, caught by Litton Das. India was then at 28/2 in 6.4 overs. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, both seeking runs, formed a brief partnership. Gill took down Nahid with twin boundaries, helping India reach the 50-run mark in 12 overs.
Their partnership ended at 39 runs when Virat was trapped leg-before-wicket for 17 in 37 balls, after hitting two fours off Miraz. Rishabh Pant then joined Gill, guiding India to 81/3 at the end of Day Two.
The second session of the day started with India at 26/3, with Najmul Hossain Shanto (15*) and Mushfiqur Rahim (4*) unbeaten. Both batters managed to add just 10 runs before Shanto was dismissed for 20 runs, aided by three fours. Mushfiqur was sent back to the dressing room by experienced spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the 13th over, having scored eight runs.
After these two wickets, Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das took the crease, putting together a 50-run partnership in the 28th over, bringing the team score to 90/5. Following this partnership, both batters were dismissed shortly after; Das (22 runs off 42 balls) was out at 91, and Shakib (32 runs from 64 balls) followed at 92.
The visitors crossed the 100-run mark in the 33rd over, losing five wickets, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud unbeaten at the crease. On the penultimate ball of the last over before Tea, Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Hasan Mahmud, who went back after scoring nine runs when the team score was 112.
Earlier in the morning session, the day started with Ravichandran Ashwin (102*) and Ravindra Jadeja (86*) resuming the Indian innings from 339/6. Team India was bowled out for 376 runs. Jadeja and Ashwin added just four runs to the total before Jadeja was dismissed by right-arm seamer Taskin Ahmed for 86 runs, which came in 124 balls and included 10 fours and two sixes.
Before going back to the pavilion, Jadeja built an exceptional partnership of 199 runs in 240 balls with Ravichandran Ashwin. India was bowled out in the 92nd over, losing their ninth wicket at 374 when Ashwin was dismissed after a magnificent innings of 113 runs from 133 balls, which featured 11 fours and two sixes.
The last wicket to fall was that of Jasprit Bumrah, dismissed when the team score was 376 runs, taken by Hasan Mahmud. With this wicket, he completed his five-wicket haul and became the first Bangladesh bowler to do so in the longest format of the game in India.
Other than Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed took three wickets, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nahid Rana claimed one wicket each in their respective spells. Openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan took the field as Bangladesh trailed by 376 runs. Jasprit Bumrah took the first wicket on the last ball of the first over, cleaning up Shadman for 0.
Following that, the other right-arm pacer, Akash Deep, took two wickets in two balls, reducing the visitors to 22/3 in 8.2 overs. After these back-to-back wickets, Mushfiqur Rahim came out to bat alongside Najmul Hossain Shanto, bringing the team score to 26/3 in nine overs at the end of the first session on Day Two of the encounter.
Brief Scores: India: 376 and 81/3 (Shubman Gill 33, Virat Kohli 17, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 1/16) lead Bangladesh: 149 (Shakib Al Hasan 32, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 27*, Jasprit Bumrah 4/50).
