Chennai, Sept 20: Pacer Akash Deep’s twin strike helped India reduce Bangladesh to an edgy 26 for three at lunch and tighten their grip on the first Test on just the second day of the match here on Friday.
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (15) and Mushfiqur Rahim (4) were at the crease when lunch was taken. The visitors were 350 runs adrift of India’s 376 all out after Akash rocked them early (2/5).
India, resuming from overnight 339 for six, were bowled out for 376 in their first innings, a total built around excellent knocks by Ravichandran Ashwin (113, 133 balls, 11×4, 2×6) and Ravindra Jadeja (86, 124 balls, 10×4, 2×6).
Their seventh-wicket alliance was worth 199 runs, which came off 240 balls, resisting the Bangladesh bowlers for 189 minutes across three sessions.
After that feisty effort, India needed a fine beginning to sustain the momentum, and Bumrah provided it by dismissing Shadman Islam (2).
Islam shouldered arms to a delivery, which was bowled to him from around the wicket, that cut back a bit, and the ball thudded on to the stumps.
Soon, Akash added the scalps of Zakir Hasan (3) and Mominul Haque (0) in successive balls to push Bangladesh into a spot of bother, as both the batters fatally played the wrong line.
Earlier, the Indian innings lasted an hour and five minutes into the second day’s first session, and the hosts lost the remaining four wickets while adding 37 runs to the overnight score.
Jadeja, resuming at 86, was the first to go, falling to Taskin Ahmed after the visitors straightaway took the second new ball.
The left-hander suffered a momentary lapse of concentration, and edged a regulation outside off-stump delivery to Litton Das behind the wicket.
Ashwin, overnight 102, did not last long either, skying Ahmed to Shanto as the pacer finally managed to hit a better line.
Soon, he added Akash Deep’s scalp to return with a satisfactory three-wicket haul and fellow pacer Hasan Mahmud added a fifth wicket to his kitty in the form of Bumrah to bring curtains to the Indian innings.
It was Mahmud’s second successive fifer after bagging one against Pakistan at Rawalpindi earlier this month. (PTI)
