India solidified their position on day four of the first Test against Bangladesh, standing within reach of victory despite a solid debut performance from Zakir Hasan. The Bangladesh team is currently chasing a daunting target of 513 runs and finished the day at 272-6, still requiring 241 runs to win, with skipper Shakib Al Hasan at the crease on 40 runs.
In the first innings, Bangladesh’s openers, Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain, provided a commendable start by forming a 124-run partnership, a record against India. Their efforts extended into the final session of day three and into lunch on day four, showcasing resilience against the Indian bowling attack.
However, the breakthrough came in the second session when Umesh Yadav dismissed Najmul, who edged the ball to Rishabh Pant after Virat Kohli initially dropped it at first slip. Najmul’s departure for 67 marked a turning point, allowing India to seize momentum.
India’s Axar Patel proved instrumental, capturing three wickets for 50 runs during the day’s play. He followed up Najmul’s dismissal by bowling Yasir Ali for just five runs and was successful in stumping Nurul Hasan as well. Kuldeep Yadav joined in by taking out the dangerous Liton Das for 19 runs. Meanwhile, Zakir swung for the fences, hitting a four off Axar to bring up his century, becoming only the fourth Bangladeshi to achieve this milestone on Test debut.
Despite a promising start, Zakir fell for 100 later in the session, edging a defensive shot to Kohli at slip off Ravichandran Ashwin’s bowling. Reflecting on his innings, Zakir highlighted his approach of staying calm and not succumbing to the pressure of the occasion.
After his exit, Bangladesh’s batting lineup faltered, leading to the fall of Mushfiqur Rahim for 23. Under India’s renewed pressure, the top order struggled to cope, illustrating the shift in the match’s dynamics. India’s bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, emphasized the need for patience among the bowlers, which ultimately yielded results.
In the earlier innings, India scored 404 runs, thanks largely to Cheteshwar Pujara’s 90 and Shreyas Iyer’s 86. In contrast, Bangladesh could manage only 140 in reply. In their second innings, Pujara again proved reliable, finishing unbeaten on 102, while his partner Shubman Gill contributed 110, enabling India to declare at 258-2.
As part of the ICC World Test Championship, this series holds significant implications for both teams. Currently, India sits fourth in the standings, having recorded six victories out of twelve matches, while Bangladesh struggles at the bottom with only one win and a draw from ten matches. They have not secured a Test victory at home since February 2020.
Brief Scores
- India 1st innings: 404
- Bangladesh 1st innings: 150
- India 2nd innings: 258-2 declared
- Target: 513
- Bangladesh 2nd innings (overnight 42-0): 272-6 (Zakir Hasan 100, Najmul Hossain 67, Shakib Al Hasan 40 batting; Axar Patel 3-50)
- Bangladesh still need 241 runs.