Virat Kohli walks up to Ashwin just as he is about to bowl; tactic pays off immediately as BAN batter falls into trap
R Ashwin plotted Zakir Hasan's dismissal with former skipper Virat Kohli, as the duo devised a plan to get the better of the Bangladesh opener.
India stamped their authority over Bangladesh on Day 4 of the second Test match at Green Park, Kanpur. Rohit Sharma and Co. entered the ground with a clear plan in their mind with the bat after the bowlers did their job by bundling out Bangladesh for 233 in their first innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul scored blistering half-centuries. India declared their first innings at 285 for nine with a crucial 52-run lead. The fearless batting approach from India gave them a chance to get a result despite two and half days of play having already been washed out in this match.
After taking a 52-run lead, the onus was on the Indian bowlers to take some early wickets in the final hour of the day to put Bangladesh under more pressure. Veteran Ravichandran Ashwin got the job done by picking two wickets to give India an upper hand in the game.
Bangladesh's openers started off cautiously and tried hard to survive the disciplined Indian bowling attack. But Ashwin plotted Zakir Hasan's dismissal with former skipper Virat Kohli, as the duo devised a plan to get the better of the Bangladesh opener with a drifting delivery.
The left-handed opener was trapped in front of the wicket for 10 and then Ashwin bowled nightwatchman Hasan Mahmud for four. Shadman Islam was on seven and Mominul Haque, who made an unbeaten 107 earlier in Bangladesh's first innings, was yet to score. The visitors reached 26-2 at stumps, still 26 runs in arrears.
Recording-breaking day for Indian batting unit
Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed 72 off 51 balls including 12 fours and two sixes as India reached 100 off just 61 balls, breaking their own record for the fastest start to a Test innings.
It beat the 74 balls they faced to reach the mark against the West Indies last year.
Jaiswal put on 55 off 24 balls for the first wicket with skipper Rohit Sharma, who was bowled by Mehidy for 23 in the fourth over.
Jaiswal kept up the onslaught, reaching his fifty off 31 balls before he was bowled by Hasan Mahmud.
But Virat Kohli, who hit 47 off 35 balls, and Rahul, whose 68 came off 43 balls, kept up the momentum.