BAN vs IND, 1st Test, Day 1: India 278 for 6 (Pujara 90, Iyer 82*, Taijul 3-84, Mehidy 2-71) vs Bangladesh

On the first day of the first Test in Chattogram, India took the lead thanks to half-centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer, but Bangladesh could still make a comeback thanks to two late wickets.

India were 48 for 3 at one point, but Pujara and Rishabh Pant, followed by Pujara and Iyer, formed crucial partnerships to get them to 278 for 6 at stumps. While Iyer went unbeaten with a score of 82, Pujara missed out on what would have been his first Test hundred since January 2019.

The dropped catches also served Pujara and Iyer well.

When Nurul Hasan dropped Pujara off the bowling of Ebadot Hossain, Pujara was on 12. That occurred on the second ball following lunch, when Pujara drove a full delivery only to edge it low to the wicketkeeper’s right. However, Nurul was unable to seize the chance.

Iyer was spared twice. On 30, Shakib Al Hasan missed a chance that Nurul missed. On 67, Ebadot took a straightforward catch at deep midwicket, the unfortunate bowler being Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

At 77, Iyer had luck once more. The bails remained in place despite Ebadot’s in ducker beating his inside edge and brushing the off stump.

When India decided to bat first thing in the morning, Bangladesh captain Shakib hoped that the grass cover would help his seamers get early wickets. However, the pitch offered little help to the quick bowlers, constraining Shakib to welcome himself on as soon as the 6th over.

By barely bowling anything full, the Bangladesh seamers Ebadot and Khaled Ahmed also did not help their cause. Though all of the balls were well outside off, some of them did keep low. Shakib tried experimenting with the field by using a leg slip, a catching short midwicket, and a catching cover, but none of them worked.

Taijul Islam eventually emerged victorious. Shubman Gill tried to lap-sweep him at the end of the first hour, but the ball just fell on him, causing a top edge. In anticipation of the shot, Yasir Ali ran to his left from the first slip and ate it whole.

Soon after, KL Rahul fell, slicing Khaled into his stumps. In the following over, Virat Kohli played back to a length ball from Taijul that turned past his external edge and caught him lbw as he hoped to work the ball into the leg side. That meant that India, who had appeared to be in complete control at 41 for no loss, were suddenly in trouble.

They were saved by Pujara and Pant, who batted in their distinct styles. Before Mehidy ended their stand, they added 64 runs for the fourth wicket in just 72 balls. Pant went back in an effort to steer Mehidy behind point after hitting the previous ball for a six, his 50th Test match-winning hit. But the ball kept coming in through his arm, cramping him. Pant walked back for a 45-ball 46 after the bottom edge bounced off the pitch and dislodged the off bail.

Iyer started slowly and got his first ball just past the slip fielder against Mehidy. Then, in the same over, Ebadot beat both of his edges. However, as the innings progressed, he began to appear more at ease and was not afraid to go aerial against spinners.

In contrast, Pujara frequently sped down the track by using his feet against the spinners, despite the fact that he did not always appear to be in complete control. He raised his 50 years with a four off Taijul and praised the event with one more limit off the following ball. Iyer followed him to the boundary-lined landmark as well.

Bangladesh took the new ball as soon as it became available, despite the fact that both batters appeared to be on track for hundreds. That brought about the breakthrough. Taijul, who had repeatedly beaten Pujara and Iyer’s outside edges, received his reward when he managed to spin another one past Pujara’s outside edge. The 149-run stand was ended this time when the ball hit the off stump.

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When Bangladesh didn’t go with the review, Axar Patel won a bat-pad appeal, but the replay showed a clear inside edge. Mehidy trapped him lbw on the final ball of the day to keep Bangladesh in the contest, so that didn’t hurt.