India sat firmly in the driver’s seat at the end of the third day’s play after being set up nicely by tons from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. The duo had enabled them to declare with a lead of 514 with more than two and a half day’s play left in the first Test at Chennai. In reply, Bangladesh put in a better batting show in comparison to their first dig but still lost four wickets, with R Ashwin being the wrecker-in-chief.
Ashwin, fresh off a hundred with the bat, had not got a wicket in the first innings here but as the match wore on, he began to find some assistance which he expertly exploited. But this was not before openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam put on a confident 62-run stand. The pitch had no demons on it until then and the duo began to drive well against the pacers, putting both Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah under the sword a little. The confident strokes gave Bangladesh something to cheer about in an otherwise woeful game. However, Hasan eventually nicked Bumrah and was caught well by Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully.
Ashwin gradually began to make his presence felt with teasing lines and the occasional turn and bounce threatening the left-handers. He first had Shadman caught at midwicket, before bowling Mominul Haque with a beautiful offbreak that beat the outside edge. Mushfiqur Rahim came in with an intent to counterattack and even lofted Ashwin for a six before he mistimed the encore and was caught at mid on. In the daunting chase, Bangladesh were in the doldrums before bad light forced an early end to the day’s play. Despite the loss of overs, India had forged ahead thanks to the quick work of the batters earlier in the day.
Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant registered tons and put on a 167-run stand that had Bangladesh chasing leather. The play got underway on time on an overcast morning despite overnight and early morning rains. Pant got India going with a pull shot off Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a four and his second four of the day was a controlled pull off Hasan Mahmud.
Gill, who began watchfully, came down the track and struck two sixes off Mehidy to bring up a fine half-century, the fifty-run stand was raised soon after, and India also extended their lead past 350. But it was a watchful start in the first hour as India managed 48 runs in 15 overs despite Pant striking another four off Mehidy.
Pant got to his fifty close to 30 minutes into the second hour, taking 88 balls to get there having started the day at 12 off 13. It was a wait and watch approach from the pair as they cashed in on the loose deliveries. Gill put away a slow, short delivery from Mahmud for a four, followed by a fine shot from Pant as he came down the track and went inside-out off Mehidy for a boundary. Gill also came down the track to Mehidy, just about clearing the long-on boundary for his third six.
Pant executed a reverse-sweep off Shakib Al Hasan for a four to raise the century stand. There was, perhaps, a message from the dressing room, as Pant shifted to a higher gear, punching a Mahmud delivery for a boundary, followed by a lap shot for a six. Gill came down the track to Shakib and converted the ball into a full-toss as he played it wide of cover for a four. To add to Bangladesh’s woes, their skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto put down a catch to give Pant a reprieve. Pant then struck two fours off Shakib despite it being the last over before Lunch as India asserted their authority.
The top gear continued post the break as Pant raced through the 80s and 90s with a flurry of boundaries to bring up his sixth Test ton, marking a memorable return to Test cricket after two years. He was dismissed caught and bowled by Mehidy soon after but Gill clipped his way to his hundred – fifth in Tests – as India piled on the misery. The declaration came with about an hour’s play left in the second session, before Ashwin and Co. took over.
Brief scores: India 376 & 287/4 decl (Shubman Gill 119*, Rishabh Pant 109) lead Bangladesh 149 & 146/4 (Najmul Hossain Shanto 51; R Ashwin 3-63) by 357 runs
