India’s bowlers put on a strong performance in the second Test against Bangladesh, with Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin each claiming four wickets. As a result, Bangladesh was bowled out for 227 runs in their first innings in Dhaka.
Mominul Haque was the standout performer for the hosts, scoring 84 runs. Despite his efforts, Bangladesh struggled to build crucial partnerships and lost wickets consistently, concluding their innings about an hour before the end of the day’s play after opting to bat first.
India had a solid start, reaching 19 runs without loss before bad light interrupted play, leaving six overs still to be bowled. K.L. Rahul, who is filling in as captain for the injured Rohit Sharma, ended the day with three runs, while Shubman Gill was on 14 not out.
In a pivotal moment during the final over of the day, Rahul was given out leg-before-wicket off Shakib Al Hasan, but the decision was overturned following a review. This decision preserved his wicket for the following day’s play.
Umesh’s bowling figures of 4-25 and Ashwin’s 4-71 effectively stifled Bangladesh’s scoring opportunities, even as many batsmen managed to get starts. The conditions, according to Umesh, were balanced, with both pace and spin offering varying degrees of assistance.
Mushfiqur Rahim (26), Liton Das (25), and Najmul Hossain (24) fell short of supporting Mominul sufficiently. Mominul, making his return in the series, ultimately succumbed as the ninth wicket when he edged a ball from Ashwin to the wicketkeeper. He showcased his batting abilities with 12 fours and a six, marking his 16th Test fifty and ending a run of seven matches without reaching that milestone.
Ashwin wrapped up the innings shortly thereafter, as Khaled Ahmed was caught in the deep on the second-to-last ball of the inning. Bangladesh’s batting coach, Jamie Siddons, expressed disappointment over the mental errors that cost them wickets, particularly allowing Umesh to take four.
Jaydev Unadkat, returning to Test cricket after debuting in 2010, also made his mark, taking 2-50. Bangladesh, at one stage, appeared in a decent position at 184-5 at tea but faltered in the final session, collapsing under Umesh’s incisive spell, which brought three wickets in quick succession.
In terms of team news, India, who won the first Test by 188 runs, are again without captain Rohit Sharma due to injury, with Rahul stepping in as skipper. Kuldeep Yadav, who played a crucial role in the first Test, was left out in favor of Unadkat. Bangladesh made two changes, bringing in Taskin Ahmed for the injured Ebadot Hossain and recalling Mominul for Yasir Ali.
In brief, the scores reflect:
- Bangladesh 1st innings: 227 (Mominul Haque 84, Mushfiqur Rahim 26, Liton Das 25; Umesh Yadav 4-25, R. Ashwin 4-71)
- India 1st innings: 19-0 (Shubman Gill 14 not out, KL Rahul 3 not out)
- Toss: Bangladesh