Bangladesh has been struggling to save the match on Day 3 of the first Test match between India and Bangladesh, a huge task of getting 515 runs. Bangladesh has reached 158/4 at stumps.
The team still needs 357 runs to achieve the almost impossible victory. Bad light ended the day’s play early, but Day 4 will be really interesting.
Match Summary
Team |
Innings |
Score |
Wickets |
India |
1st Innings |
387 |
10 |
|
2nd Innings |
287/4 (d) |
– |
Bangladesh |
1st Innings |
192 |
10 |
|
2nd Innings |
158/4 |
– |
India kept their domination intact in the first two days of the match and carried it forward to Day 3 also.
The host batted first, declaring their second innings at 287/4 when they had already piled up a significant lead of 514 runs.
The highlight of India’s second innings was Shubman Gill’s brilliant century, and it also saw Rishabh Pant come out there with a dazzling knock of 109.
Shubman Gill’s Century
“Gill batted really well against spin and capitalized on loose deliveries.”
Image Credit: The Indian Express
One of the star performers for India here was Shubman Gill, who registered his fifth Test century. The young opening batsman batted very calmly and stylishly, scoring 119 off 160 balls.
More specifically, Gill batted really well against spin, though again, he was capitalizing on loose deliveries, hence keeping the scoreboard ticking for India.
His hundred provided the momentum for declaring the innings and gave India every chance of putting the hosts under siege.
Pant’s Century Equal to a Classic
Rishabh Pant continued his phenomenal comeback as he hit his sixth Test century. Pant’s 109 was a counter-attacking masterpiece, showing fearless cricketing.
His knock was, of course, so important in terms of runs, but it also helped India stretch the lead to an almost impossible total.
Pant’s century has come for him after recovering from a horrific car accident, and the feat is made even more special by that. In the process, Pant equaled MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper.
Bangladesh’s Daunting Chase
- Zakir Hasan scored 33 before being dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah.
- Mominul Haque was bowled out for 13 by Ravichandran Ashwin, who later dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim.
Chasing 515 runs, Bangladesh was given a mountain to climb. Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam got off with a flying start but could not build on that.
Despite a promising partnership, India’s bowlers started to really hold sway as the match entered the later stages, grabbing those crucial wickets at regular intervals.
Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam gave Bangladesh a good start and showed some fight in the initial phase of the innings.
It was a good 50-run stand, and they are the first Bangladeshi opening pair to achieve such an aggregate in a Test match held on Indian soil.
Zakir was aggressive in batting and thrashed many boundaries off India’s pace attack, mainly on Mohammed Siraj. Zakir slammed two boundaries and a six off Siraj in one over and showed some hope for the visitors.
But Bangladesh seemed to be getting back to their ways when India finally managed a breakthrough. Jasprit Bumrah bowled Zakir Hasan for 33, a remarkable one-handed catch by Yashasvi Jaiswal at slip, and from there, Bangladesh’s trouble began as India’s spinners started taking control.
Related Article: India vs Bangladesh 1st Test: Live Updates and Key Highlights (Day 1)
Ashwin and Jadeja Spin a Web
India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were the turning points of the game in the second and third sessions of Day 3. Now that it was getting a bit old, the pitch came with a good turn, and both these players got the ball dancing along, troubling the Bangladeshi batters.
Ravichandran Ashwin was India’s best pick on the last day as well with the ball, taking two significant blows in succession.
First, he dismissed Mominul Haque, who was bowled for 13 by a lovely delivery that spun sharply and hit the off-stump. Ashwin’s use of flight and variation caused the Bangladeshis to pucker up throughout the session.
Later on, Ashwin once again sent back the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim. This time, it was a well-set trap as KL Rahul was stationed at mid-on, and Rahim mistimed his shot, and Rahul dived forward to take an easy catch with many balls. With Rahim’s wicket, Bangladesh reeled back to 146/4.
Santo’s Fifty Gives Bangladesh Hope
As wickets fell around him, Najmul Hossain Shanto remained rock-steady for Bangladesh. With a gritty innings, he scaled up his half-century with a towering six off Ashwin.
The 50 off 55 balls spoke about how, under pressure, he could counter-attack. This knock turned out to be crucial for Bangladesh while trying to stay alive in the contest.
But some relief for the visitors came in the guise of Shanto’s aggressive approach. Bangladesh now has a huge mountain to climb and lost four wickets. They reached 158 for four by stumps on Day 3, Shanto unbeaten on 52, and Litton Das yet to open his account.
It was the end of the day, and unfortunately, the fightback Bangladesh needed came to a premature end due to bad light.
The umpires consulted with the captains and decided to stop the game, though India skipper Rohit Sharma requested the umpires allow spin bowling. Game over for the day; it will resume on Day 4 with an early start at 9:20 AM.
What to expect from Day 4?
Bangladesh will require an almost impossible task of scoring 357 more runs with just six wickets in hand. India would like to finish the game sooner.
The Bangla pitch is deteriorating further, and India’s spinners are also in fine form, so it seems only a matter of time before the hosts win.
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Reference: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-bangladesh-2024
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