Bangladesh vs India, 1st Test, Day 2, Top Performances: Ravichandran Ashwin-Kuldeep Yadav's 92-run stand, Kuldeep Yadav's 4-33 and Mohammed Siraj's 3-14 are top performances from Day 2. Bangladesh trail by 271 runs at the stumps on Day 2.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 133/8 (Rahim 28, Kuldeep 4/33, Siraj 3/14) trail India 404 (Pujara 90, Iyer 86, Ashwin 58, Miraz 4/112) by 271 runs at Stumps on Day 2
After a balanced first day of the first Test match between Bangladesh and India at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, hosts Bangladesh looked forward to restrict India under 350, while India hoped for brilliance from Shreyas Iyer and aim a 400+ total.
Kuldeep-Siraj put India on top with lead of 271 runs
Beginning the day on 278/6, India lost an early wicket in the form of Shreyas Iyer who missed a well-deserved century being dismissed on 86. Ravichandran Ashwin who notched up a half-century stitched a commendable 92-run partnership with Kuldeep Yadav, before a few big shots at the end carried the tourists to 404 in their first innings.
Bangladesh had no answer to India’s bowling. Since losing their opener on the very first ball of their innings, they kept on losing wickets at regular intervals as the pace of Mohammed Siraj and the spin of Kuldeep Yadav was too hot to handle for the hosts. They somehow managed to survive the day without getting all-out to finish on 133/8, still needing 72 more runs to avoid the follow on.
Let’s scan the top three performances from the second day of the first Test between Bangladesh and India.
Ashwin-Kuldeep 92-run partnership took India near the 400-run mark
After losing Axar Patel on the last ball of the first day, India needed one good partnership from the lower order to take them near the 400-run mark and they placed their hopes on either of Shreyas Iyer or Ravichandran Ashwin to get them there.
After losing Iyer early in the day, Kuldeep Yadav who was making a comeback in the Test side joined Ashwin in the middle as both the batters looked to play in a positive manner. Ashwin used his feet to launch Mehidy Hasan Miraz over the long on region for a six, before flicking the drifter through the gap at square leg region for a boundary.
Kuldeep too after getting set, played a controlled pull against Khaled Ahmed through mid-wicket region before reverse sweeping Taijul Islam to the deep backward point for four more runs. Ashwin then drove the flighted ball from Taijul through extra cover for a boundary before lofting the same bowler over the mid-on region to celebrate his 13th Test match half-century.
With a boundary that he managed to get past the square leg boundary, Kuldeep Yadav went past his previous highest score before clearing the mid-wicket region for another boundary. Both of them added 87 runs before Ashwin was dismissed on 58, as India reached 404.
Ashwin now has 2989 Test runs in 87 games at an average of 27.17.
Fiery Siraj dismantles Bangladesh’s top order with figures of 3/14
In the absence of India’s premier quick bowlers - Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah - a young Mohammed Siraj was given the job of delivering for his side with the new ball and the Hyderabad pacer didn’t disappoint.
On the first ball of India’s innings, Siraj drew first blood sending back Najmul Hasan Shanto (0) who just poked at the ball without any feet movement, as wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant grabbed an excellent catch behind the stumps.
Litton Das who has been phenomenal for Bangladesh across formats this year was batting superbly in the middle, was involved in a heated up tussle with Siraj and on the very next ball, the Indian pacer with a beautiful in-swinging ball broke the furniture to send Das back.
Bangladesh’s debutant Zakir Hasan was playing beautifully for his 20 runs, till Siraj with a good length delivery earned the edge of Hasan’s bat to pick up his third wicket of the day.
Siraj finished the day with 3/14 in nine overs and he now has 43 wickets in 14 Test matches.
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Kuldeep destroys Bangladesh with 4/33
Last time Kuldeep Yadav was part of India’s Test playing eleven, it was the Chennai Test in 2021 against England. With his very second ball of this game, Kuldeep earned the wicket of Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan on 3 who suddenly had a brain fade and decided to charge down the ground only to get an outside edge as the slip fielder took an easy catch.
The opponent’s wicketkeeper batter Nurul Hasan too wasn’t able to read Kuldeep as he hit the leg break straight into the hands of the short leg fielder who took a sharp catch. Kuldeep caged the big fish in his sixth over when he found Mushfiqur Rahim plumb before the wickets on 28 with a lovely leg break that drew the batter forward into his defence.
Four balls later in the same over, Taijul Islam failed to read a well-bowled googly from Kuldeep as in trying to play the cut shot, the ball broke the stumps as India’s chinaman spinner picked up his fourth wicket.
He ended the day with figures of 4/33 in 10 overs to take his Test match wickets tally to 30 in eight games.
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What to Expect on Day 3
India will look to get the last two wickets quickly, before deciding whether to enforce the follow-on or not. They can think of batting in the second innings and put Bangladesh out of the game, posting a huge target for the hosts. If India do not enforce a follow on then Bangladesh will look to pick up some early wickets and restrict them to an achievable target.
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