1st Test: Pant, Gill and Ashwin ensure another day of domination for India (ld)

Chennai, Sep 21 (IANS) Rishabh Pant brought up a soul-stirring sixth Test century on his comeback to the format, while Shubman Gill hit an elegant fifth Test hundred, and Ravichandran Ashwin picked three wickets to ensure another day of domination for India in the first Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Saturday.

By the time play on the third day of the match ended early due to bad light, Bangladesh reached 158/4 in 37.2 overs and needed an improbable 357 runs to cause an upset win over India. India had declared their second innings at 278/4 to set Bangladesh a target of 515, riding on Gill’s 119 not out – laced with 10 fours and four sixes, and Pant’s 109 – laced with 13 fours and four sixes – being the standout efforts.

The first session turned out to be a brilliant one for India as Gill and Pant took a demoralised Bangladesh bowling line-up to the cleaners by making 128 runs in 24 overs. Both Gill and Pant have looked untroubled, as they took their time and then unleashed their shots to pile more misery on Bangladesh -– barring a dropped chance of the latter on 72 by Najmul Hossain Shanto off Shakib Al Hasan just before lunch.

With a lack of lateral movement on offer for Bangladesh in the morning, Pant played two controlled pull shots for boundaries, before Gill danced down the pitch to thump Mehidy for back-to-back sixes and get his Test fifty in style.

Pant and Gill were consciously looking to play for a long time, leading to a little drop in the scoring rate. But Pant broke a 46-ball boundary drought by dancing down the pitch off Mehidy Hasan to smack a four straight down the ground.

Pant continued to waltz down the pitch off Mehidy – this time dispatching him for a one-handed six before reaching his fifty. There was no respite for Bangladesh as Gill continued to dazzle with his down-the-ground and pull shots, while Pant was terrific in his loft, reverse-sweep, backfoot punch, and heave shots to dispatch bowlers all over the park.

After being dropped on 72 by Shanto off an off-colour Shakib, Pant brought out the sweep and down-the-ground shot over long-off to take a brace of fours till lunch arrived. Post lunch, Pant slammed Shakib down the ground for six and swept him for four more. He then cut Mehidy for four more before getting his hundred in 124 balls with a brace driven wide of long-off.

With his sixth Test century, Pant now has equalled M.S. Dhoni for the joint-most centuries hit by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in the longer format. After hitting two quick boundaries, Pant fell in a bid to attack more as he hit straight back to Mehidy in a caught and bowled dismissal, also ending his enterprising 167-run stand for the fourth wicket with Gill.

Gill made use of Shakib’s poor lengths to get consecutive fours, before getting his third Test hundred in his last five Tests via 161 balls. KL Rahul also played four free-flowing boundaries to be 21 not out, before Rohit Sharma came out of the dressing room and called the batters in to declare India’s second innings.

Chasing 515, with the pitch being good for batting, Zakir Hasan got going by taking two boundaries off Jasprit Bumrah in the opening over. Shadman Islam brought out a square punch on backfoot to take a four off Mohammed Siraj before Zakir smacked him for six and two fours – a pull over square leg was followed by a straight drive and cover drive.

After Shadman cut Akash Deep for a boundary, Zakir danced down the pitch to hit Ravichandran Ashwin for a boundary over long-on, before the tea break was taken. Post tea, Zakir and Shadman could add only six runs to their opening partnership before Bumrah enticed Zakir into going for a drive and Yashasvi Jaiswal dived to his left at the gully to take a fabulous catch.

Ashwin was carted for three boundaries by Islam and Shanto before the off-spinner had the latter flicking to Gill at mid-wicket, who dived forward to complete the catch. Even as Shanto grew in confidence with his loft, pull and reverse sweep, Ashwin continued to strike by getting the ball to curl away from Mominul Haque’s outside edge and hit off-stump.

Shanto continues to hit boundaries and got his fifty in 55 balls by sweeping Ashwin over backward square leg for six. But from the other end, the veteran off-spinner took out Mushfiqur Rahim as he couldn’t keep the drive down and Rahul took a superb forward diving catch at mid-on.

Shortly after Mohammed Siraj was brought back into the bowling attack after drinks, players walked off due to bad light and eventually forced early stumps on a day dominated by India yet again.

Brief scores:

India 376 and 287/4 dec in 64 overs (Shubman Gill 119 not out, Rishabh Pant 109; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-103) lead Bangladesh 149 and 158/4 in 37.2 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 51 not out, Shadman Islam 35; Ravichandran Ashwin 3-63) by 357 runs

–IANS

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