Picture Credit: X
On Saturday, September 21, the Rohit Sharma-led Team India continued their dominant show on day three of play in the first Test match against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram, Chennai. Starting the day with Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill on the crease, centuries from the two batters helped India post 287 runs on the board, adding to their 308-run lead from Day 2.
While Rishabh Pant scored 109 runs off 128 deliveries, bringing his sixth Test hundred and equalling former Indian wicketkeeper-batter, MS Dhoni’s record of most Test centuries by Indian keepers, Shubman Gill also played a crucial 119* runs knock off 176 deliveries. However, Pant departed after completing his ton, KL Rahul joined Gill in the middle, playing a quickfire 19-ball 22 before skipper, Rohit Sharma declared the innings.
For the visitors, Mehidy Hasan Miraz scalped two wickets while Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana picked a wicket each. With this, India set the target of 515 runs, second highest by a team in Tests in Asia after being six down for 150 or fewer in the first innings.
After the completion of India’s second innings, Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam took the crease, while Bumrah opened the attack for India. The two Bangladesh openers stitched 62-run partnership before Bumrah gave the first breakthrough soon after Tea, courtesy a brilliant one-handed stunner from Yashasvi Jaiswal. There was no stopping for the Indian bowlers thereafter as R Ashwin, who starred on Day 1 of the first Test, dismissed Shadman Islam with Gill taking an easy catch.
Ashwin then continued his brilliant run as he cleaned up Mominul Haque, jolting Bangladesh’s hopes with the scoreboard reading 124/3 after 30 overs. Mushfiqur Rahim’s stay in the middle was also cut short by the Indian off-spinner with KL Rahul taking a superb diving catch at mid-on and sending four Bangladesh batters back in the hut.
With just 37.2 overs being bowled in the Bangladesh inning and 40 minutes of play still remaining, the umpires called off the day due to bad light. While the umpires initially stopped play due to bad light, the day was eventually called off with dark clouds covering the stadium in Chennai. At the end of Day 3, Bangladesh needed 357 runs to win, while the hosts will be eying to get six wickets early in the innings on Day 4.
