Ashwin’s Triple Strike Leaves Bangladesh Struggling In 515-Run Chase
Three wickets from ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin pushed back Bangladesh in their massive 515-run chase in the first Test against India on Saturday. At the end of Day 3, Bangladesh was at 158/4, with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (51*) and Shakib Al Hasan (5*) unbeaten. Bangladesh started the final session at 56/0, with Shadman Islam (21) and Zakir Hasan (32) at the crease.
Jasprit Bumrah struck early for India in the session, removing Zakir for 33 off 47 balls, which included five fours and a six, with Yashasvi Jaiswal taking a fine diving catch at slips. Bangladesh was at 62/1.
Though skipper Shanto tried to fend off the spinners, Bangladesh lost Shadman, whose catch was taken by Shubman Gill at midwicket, with Ashwin claiming the wicket for 35 off 68 balls, featuring three fours. Bangladesh was at 86/2.
The Bangladeshi batters continued to attack the spinners, playing some positive cricket, and reached the 100-run mark in 24.4 overs. The pair of Shanto and Mominul Haque struck several boundaries off Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. However, Ashwin managed to remove Mominul’s off stump, dismissing him for 13 off 24 balls, bringing Bangladesh to 124/3.
Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim also fell victim to Ashwin, with KL Rahul taking a fine forward diving catch at mid-on to send him back for 13. Bangladesh was now at 146/4 and in a precarious position.
The day’s play ended due to bad light, with the visitors still needing 357 runs. Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan had provided a solid start for their side in pursuit of the mammoth total of 515 runs. At tea, Bangladesh was at 56/0, with Shadman Islam (21) and Zakir Hasan (32) unbeaten.
The second session of Day 3 of the Chennai Test resumed with India at 205/3, with Rishabh Pant (82*) and Shubman Gill (86*) unbeaten. They currently held a lead of 432 runs. Pant went on to score a century in his comeback innings, finishing with 109 runs off 128 balls, including 13 fours and four sixes.
On the other hand, Gill played an unbeaten knock of 119 runs from 176 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and four maximums. Middle-order batter KL Rahul also contributed with an unbeaten 22 runs off 19 balls, including four boundaries. India declared their innings at 287 runs for the loss of four wickets, setting a target of 515 runs for the visitors to win the first match of the series.
Chasing such a massive total, Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan began exceptionally well, attacking the Indian bowlers from the very first over of their fourth and final innings of the Chennai Test. Earlier in the morning session, India started at 81/3, with Gill (33*) and Pant (12*) unbeaten.
The Rohit Sharma-led side completed the 100-run mark in the 29th over of their third innings. Both batters, Gill and Pant, formed a 50-run partnership in the 38th over when Pant struck a boundary off right-arm off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Gill reached his fifty in just 79 balls on the penultimate ball of the 30th over, hitting a maximum off the eight-arm spinner.
India reached the 150-run mark in the 44th over, and wicketkeeper-batter Pant completed his half-century in the same over with a single off Mehidy, requiring 88 balls. Gill and Pant formed a 100-run partnership in the 48th over. At the end of the first session, both batters had built an unbeaten partnership of 138 runs off 190 balls.
Brief Score: India: 376 and 287/4 d (Shubman Gill 119*, Rishabh Pant 109, Nahid Rana 1/21) lead Bangladesh: 149 & 56/0 (Zakir Hasan 32, Shadman Islam 21, Ravichandran Ashwin 0/7).
