Bangladesh vs India, 2nd Test, Day 3, Top Performances: Litton Das' 73, Axar Patel-Mohammed Siraj's 5-109 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz's 3-12 are top performances. India reeling at 45-4 after Bangladesh set target of 145.
Brief Scores: India 314 & 45-4 (Axar 26*, Mehidy 3-12) need 100 runs to win against Bangladesh 227 & 231 (Das 73, Zakir 51, Axar 3-68)
Bangladesh started day three of the Mirpur Test at the score of 7/0, trailing India by 80 runs. In the second over of the day, Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Najmul Hossain Shanto and that led to opening of the floodgates for the Bangladesh line-up. India dominated the first session by picking four wickets and did not let Bangladesh off the hook by any means as the hosts could add only 63 runs to their overnight score in the morning.
Bangladesh fight back after lunch as India ate butter for lunch to drop five catches
Soon after lunch, India’s spinners, especially, Axar Patel dominated proceedings with his accurate on the stumps bowling. However, the ODI captain of Bangladesh held fort from one end. India’s fielders had butter croissants for lunch as they continued with their buttery hands on the field and dropped as many as five catches, four of them in the slips by Virat Kohli. The loose fielding helped Bangladesh pounce back and they ensured India had a long post-lunch session, where the former scored 124 runs in 27 overs losing just 3 wickets when they could have easily been bundled out.
Read More: BAN v IND, 2nd Test, Day 2: Pant-Iyer 159 stand gives India slight edge; Bangladesh trail by 80
Bangla Tigers roaring like pack of lions to defend a mediocre total
In the post tea session, India eventually bowled out Bangladesh for 231, but not before the home side had put a fighting total on this low, spinning track which meant life would be difficult for India’s batters in the second innings. India’s struggle against the spinners continued as Shakib struck first blood, dismissing the terribly out of form KL Rahul for just two runs.
The real damage creator for Bangladesh was the player of the ODI series, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who dismantled India’s middle-order completely, dismissing Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in his short spell of eight overs. India’s defensive approach was evident with the likes of Axar Patel and Jaydev Unadkat coming to bat as nightwatchmen ahead of India’s top run-scorers in the first innings – Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.
With India’s top four back in the pavilion, they still need 100 runs to win the match and the series, which won’t be a walk in the park on this low and turning track with the Bangladesh spinners on top of their bowling rhythm.
Let’s scan the top three performances from day three of the second Test between Bangladesh and India being played in Mirpur.
Litton ‘Das’esh away at India’s bowlers with steady 73
Litton Das came into bat with Bangladesh at 70-4 and just one over remaining for lunch. A difficult phase which needed to be negotiated for Bangladesh to create any chances going further into this Test match. Post lunch, Litton slowly and gradually hit the ball in the gaps, did not take any particular risk and kept hitting boundaries at regular intervals and kept moving the scoreboard along.
Once Zakir Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz were dismissed, Nurul Hasan walked out with a positive approach and hit the first six of the Bangladesh second innings. This positive mindset helped Litton too to strike big, as he put on his dancing shoes against the spinners. Litton first put on a quickfire 46-run partnership with Nurul and then he notched up a crucial 60-run partnership with Taskin Ahmed which helped Bangladesh sail over 200 runs, and the lead crossed 140 runs, which meant Bangladesh had a fighting total for their spinners to claw their way back into the game.
Read More: BAN v IND, 2nd Test, Day 1: India 19-0 after Ashwin & Umesh 4-fers send Bangladesh packing for 227
Axar-Siraj bring India back even as fielders let them down
Against the tide, Mohammed Siraj was at his brilliant best on this low spinning surface which mostly helped the spin bowlers. Siraj’s go getter attitude helped him first dismiss Mominul Haque with a beautiful outswinger which nipped away after pitching taking the batter’s edge giving a straight forward catch to Rishabh Pant.
When the most settled batter of Bangladesh was scoring runs freely for fun, Siraj brought life back into the match by bowling a peach of an in-swinger. A perfect good length delivery which seamed back in and through the gates of Litton Das, who’s bat came down after the ball had already crashed the top of off stump.
Another potent damager for India was Axar Patel, who did the simplest job on this pitch: bowl stump to stump. Axar setting up Mushfiqur was the highlight of his spell, where he bowled sharp away-turners to the batter and then bowled a rocket of an arm ball, to which Rahim was playing for the turn, after being deceived on the previous two occasions. The ball missed the bat and struck Rahim plumb on the pads, for a straight LBW. It took Axar just five deliveries to dismiss Miraz. However, Axar wasn’t done yet, he also dismissed the dangerous-looking Nurul, with a smart change of pace and got him stumped for 31.
Coming to bat as a nightwatchman, Axar then scored a steady and calming 26* and remained not out overnight to give some hopes to the Indian fans.
Read More: BAN v IND, 1st Test, Day 5: India move up to 2nd place in WTC 23 Table after beating Bangladesh
Mehidy Hasan Miraz rattles India with 3-12
With a mediocre total to defend, the only hope for Bangladesh were their spinners, and Mehidy Hazan Miraz didn’t disappoint either. The star of the ODI series started his rampage by dismissing Pujara first with a low stingy delivery to which the batter charged down the track only to be stumped. Gill followed Pujara in a similar pattern, as Mehidy was successful in deceiving Gill in the flight as he too was stumped.
The biggest wicket of the day was when Miraz dismissed Virat Kohli at short leg. The veteran came with a defensive approach and could only manage to get an inside edge which popped into the short leg fielder’s hands for an easy catch.
Read More: WTC 2021-23: SA or India most likely to join Australia in the June finals; SL might spring surprise
What’s to Come
Day 4 awaits an epic battle with India needing another 100 runs and Bangladesh wanting 6 wickets for victory. India still have their best batters of the series, Rishabh and Shreyas left in the bank and an attacking approach should help them sneak away with a win, unless they succumb against the pressure of Bangladesh spinners and the noise of close in fielders.
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