18 December,2022 08:53 AM IST | Chattogram | PTI
India’s Axar Patel (third from right) celebrates a Bangladesh wicket with teammates on Saturday. Pics/AP, PTI
Seasoned Axar Patel upped the ante with a triple strike just when it mattered as Indian bowlers compensated for an insipid first session by reducing Bangladesh to 272 for 6, closing in on a big victory, on the fourth day of the opening Test here on Saturday.
Debutant Zakir Hasan (100 off 224 balls) showed a lot of character, scoring a patient hundred but saving the Test match by batting out for nearly 180 overs in two days was always going to be an uphill task, as also chasing a target of 513. Bangladesh need another 241 runs on the final day on Sunday but skipper Shakib Al Hasan (40 batting) could be more keen on delaying the inevitable. While Zakir and his young opening partner Najmul Hossain Shanto (67) frustrated the Indian bowers for an entire session and added a record 124 for the first wicket, the visitors pulled back things in the second session to regain control of the proceedings. Axar (3-50), had one of his best performance in a short career in the longest format, considering that the fourth day wicket didn't have a lot of help for spinners.
"Batting was becoming easy. But we didn't give away freebies. It's because of our good bowling in the first session, we were rewarded in the next two sessions," bowling coach Paras Mhambrey told reporters after Day Four's proceedings.
"It was all about being patient as we knew wicket was going to be easy and it would be hard work (for us). The focus was on hitting the right areas, create the opportunities, even while when there's a half chance." Three batters - Yasir Ali (5), Mushfiqur Rahim (23) and Nurul Hasan (3) - actually preempted Axar's deliveries and made fatal mistakes leading to downfall.
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Ravichandran Ashwin (1-76) wasn't at his best in this game but he would certainly feel happy to see the back of Zakir, caught by a diving Virat Kohli at first slip.
Kuldeep Yadav (1-69) also did his bit by prodding a fidgety Litton Das to try and loft him over mid-on but the batter couldn't check his half-scoop and half-drive, offering an easy catch to pacer Umesh Yadav.
Umesh ended Shanto's 156-ball resilience with a fuller delivery outside the off-stump finding the left-handed opener poking at it indecisively. The second session turned out to be an important one for India as it yielded only 52 runs and the three wickets dented any dreams of an upset that Bangladesh team could have harboured.
Brief scores
India 404 & 258/2d v Bangladesh 150 & 272-6 (Z Hasan 100, N Shanto 67, S Al Hasan 40'; A Patel 3-50)
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