India vs Bangladesh Highlights 1st Test, Day 2: Pant, Gill remain unbeaten as IND lead by 308 runs; BAN eye fightback

India vs Bangladesh Highlights 1st Test, Day 2

India vs Bangladesh Highlights 1st Test, Day 2: India posted 81/3 in 23 overs at Stumps and lead by 308 runs on Day 2 of the ongoing first Test match vs Bangladesh in Chennai. Shubman Gill (33*) and Rishabh Pant (12*) remained unbeaten for India in the second innings and will resume batting on Day 3. Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) fell to Nahid Rana and Rohit Sharma (5) lost his wicket to Taskin Ahmed. Also, Virat Kohli (17) was dismissed by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah took a four-wicket haul as India restricted Bangladesh to 149 runs in 47.1 overs. Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das calmed things down for Bangladesh briefly in a second session against a relentless Indian attack, but the hosts have pretty much blown the hosts out of the match by Tea. Litton fell trying to sweep a big shot off Ravindra Jadeja on 22 off 42 and the partnership between him and Shakib ended on 51 off 94. Shakib fell shortly thereafter trying to sweep Jadeja as well on 22 off 42. Mehidy Hasan Miraz then held fort with Hasan Mahmud for much of the session, until the latter was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah off the last ball of the session. Bangladesh thus went into Tea on a score of 112/8, trailing India by 264 runs.

Earlier, India were all out for a score of 376. The second new ball was available first thing in the morning on Day 2 of the first Test at the Chepauk Stadium and Bangladesh took it. They would've been desperate for an early breakthrough and Taskin Ahmed got them exactly that, getting Ravindra Jadeja to edge behind to the wicketkeeper in the third over of the day. Jadeja could not add to his overnight score of 86 and thus missed out on his fifth Test century. The stand between him and Ravichandran Ashwin ended on 199. Ashwin eventually fell for 113 off 133.

Jasprit Bumrah got the breakthrough for India in the very first over of the Bangladesh innings. Akash Deep then sent Zakir Hasan and Mominul Haque back off consecutive balls in the ninth over to leave Bangladesh reeling at 26/3 at Lunch.

Ashwin and Jadeja helped India work themselves into the box seat in the first day at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, on Thursday. They finished day one at 339/6 at stumps, and have set up a solid foundation heading into the second day of the Test. Early wickets will be the call for Bangladesh’s impressive pace attack, whose initial new ball spell had India reeling at 34/3.

Earlier on Day 1, Bangladesh got off to a rollicking start thanks to an excellent opening burst from Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud, who managed to keep the Indian openers quiet and on the back foot from the off. Mahmud was able to take advantage, taking three big wickets within the first hour of play. Rohit Sharma was caught at second slip by his opposite, Najmul Hossain Shanto, before Shubman Gill was snaffled down the leg side by wicketkeeper Litton Das. Mahmud made it three down for India with the big one, prompting Virat Kohli to fish outside off stump and feather it through to Das behind the stumps.

India were in trouble within the first 10 overs, but Rishabh Pant was sent in at 5 to join Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair would see India through to lunch with no more damage, as both counter-punched and punished bad deliveries to stitch together a 62-run partnership in 99 balls. Pant fell soon after lunch, however, as a lazy-looking cut shot against Mahmud saw him forced to depart after a very good start, having scored 39 on his return to the Test team for the first time since 2022. Jaiswal kept up the scoring rate and brought up his fifth Test half-century, but wasn’t able to consolidate as Bangladesh’s young flamethrower Nahid Rana found his edge and dismissed the southpaw for 56.

Bangladesh got their first wicket with spin soon after, as KL Rahul fell to Mehidy Hasan Miraz after a good sharp catch at short leg by Zakir Hasan. Bangladesh looked favourites to wrap up the Indian batting with another wicket, but with the pitch easing up and becoming more comfortable for batting, India’s old guard joined hands to rescue the situation. Chennai native Ravichandran Ashwin and long-time Chennai favourite Ravindra Jadeja made most of their familiarity with the Chepauk ground, coming together to put together a blazing partnership of 195 runs, and are still going. The duo attacked spin in particular, taking down Shakib Al Hasan and finding plenty of runs against the pacers as well.

Joining forces at 144/6, Ashwin was the instigator in chief as he took an attacking approach against seamers and spinners alike. With the pitch easing up and the older ball not doing much off the pitch, the pair scored at over 5 runs per over in the final session of the day. Ashwin brought up his sixth century in just 108 balls, in an innings which has seen 10 boundaries and two sixes so far.

Highlights from Day 2 of the second Test between India and Bangladesh in Chennai:

- India post 81/3 at Stumps, lead by 308 runs

- Bangladesh post 149 runs, trail by 227 runs.

- Bumrah completed his four-wicket haul by cleaning up Taskin Ahmed

- Bangladesh were 112/8 at Tea, trailing by 264 runs

- Bumrah took his third wicket off the last ball of the second session

- Ravindra Jadeja ended a 51-run stand between Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan

- Jasprit Bumrah took one wicket while Akash Deep took two to leave Bangladesh reeling at 26/3 at Lunch

- India were all out for 376

- Ashwin was dismissed for 113 off 133, Jadeja fell for 86 off 124 balls

- India will resume at 339/6, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja looking to build to their 195-run partnership.

- Ashwin, not out on 102, would want to convert this century into a daddy hundred

- His partner Jadeja, meanwhile, is eyeing his 5th Test century

- The second new ball would be due soon and Bangladesh pacers would expect a repeat of the first hour from Day 1 hoping to wrap up the Indian innings

- As for Team India, 400 looks a gettable score and one that is enough to put Bangladesh under some severe pressure