India have outclassed Bangladesh in every department on the game throughout the day’s play. India had a upper-hand over visitors right from the first overs. Bangladesh needs a mammoth target ahead of them. They have already lost 3 wickets with 356 more runs to win this Test match or to play out 90 overs on Day 5 of the match.
Three wickets in the third session
Bangladesh were invited to bat again on Day 4 as India put up a gigantic total for visitors to chase. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin opened the bowling attack. Ashwin drew first blood as he sent opener Tamim Iqbal for single digit score. Kohli’s presence of mind came handy as he reviewed umpire’s decision as he caught the ball.
Soumya Sarkar looked dangerous as he was timing the ball well and scoring at a rather rapid rate. Jadeja came in and took his wicket with a rather straight delivery which carried to Rahane who dived to his right at slip position.
Ashwin struck once again when he came over the wicket to Mominul Haque. The ball turned fiercely and caught Haque in the crease, who eventually edged it to Rahane again at slip position. Rahane had another catch to his name as Ashwin got his second wicket of the innings.
At Stumps on Day 4 of the @Paytm Test, Bangladesh (388 & 103/3). India are seven wickets away from victory. #INDVBAN pic.twitter.com/0KQvv3Umld
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 12, 2017
India’s second innings
Virat Kohli did not enforce follow on and decided to bat after bundling out Bangladesh for 388. Though, Indian openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul walked back to the pavilion in a matter of 23 runs. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara first steadied the ship and then launched a brutal onslaught on Bangladesh bowlers.
The duo started hitting fours and sixes in order to score as many runs as they could before the tea break. Kohli got out to Shakib after scoring 38, trying to hit the ball over short mid-wicket fielder. Rahane took his time but shifted from first gear to fourth in a jiffy, he scored 28 runs before getting out. Rahane played across the line as Shakib uprooted the middle stump with a change in length of the delivery.
Ravindra Jadeja came ahead of wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha and Ashwin. Jadeja did exactly what the skipper asked him to do. He played a cameo before the team break. Surprisingly, Pujara played almost at a run-a-ball rate. He scored 54 from 58 deliveries, hitting another century in the Test. He struck six fours and one six. The six he hit off Taskin amazed skipper Kohli as he applauded from non-striker end.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s record-breaking wicket
Ashwin became the fastest to reach 250 wickets in Tests as he surpassed Australian legendary fast bowler Dennis Lillee’s 36-year-old record. Ashwin was denied the wicket of Ahmed early on when he trapped him in front of the wickets. But, Ashwin could not get the wicket because India did not have any review left.
Ashwin got the wicket from his trademark delivery ‘carrom ball’. He got the wicket of centurion Mushfiqur Rahim as he was trying to work the ball towards fine leg boundary. Rahim too got his 5th Test hundred and first as a captain on Indian soil. He also became the 11th hundred as a touring captain touring India.
Tigers caved in the first session
Bhuvneshwar Kumar started off the proceedings of the day with a wicket off the first over. At first, Kohli was giving the ball to Umesh Yadav but turned to Kumar all of a sudden. The decision paid off as he rattled the stumps of Mehedi Hasan with an in-swinging delivery.
Seamers Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma fired short deliveries, one after another to get Taijul Islam out. At the end, Yadav succeeded as the ball brushed Islam’s gloves and went straight into Saha’s gloves. Jadeja too got the wicket of tailender Ahmed as he edged the ball to the slip fielder, Rahane.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 388 all out ( Mushfiqur Rahim 127, Shakib Al Hasan 82; Umesh Yadav 3 for 84, Ravindra Jadeja 2 for 70) trail India 159/4 dec (Cheteshwar Pujara 54, Virat Kohli 38; Taskin Ahmed 2 for 43, Shakib Al Hasan 2 for 50) & 687/6 (Virat Kohli 204, Murali Vijay 108; Taijul Islam 3 for 156, Mehedi Hasan 2 for 165) by 458 runs
