India vs Bangladesh, 2nd Test: Batsmen Put Hosts In Driver's Seat After Bowlers' Devastating Display

It didn’t matter to Virat Kohli’s men irrespective of the changes they had to acclimatise themselves to. The hosts ended up in complete control after the proceedings of the first day of the second Test in Kolkata. Post the three-day ending of the first Test; the two sides carried on with some extra preparation to play the day and night Test using the pink ball. Much to most predications, India firmly retained the driver’s seat after tiny jitters.

Similar to the previous time, the toss was the only thing that went the visitors’ way. Bangladesh swapped Al-Amin Hossain and Nayeem Hasan and for Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz while India decided to go with an unchanged line-up. India’s new-ball bowlers in Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav struggled for rhythm in the first five overs but didn’t let the openers off the hook.

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Ishant Sharma struck in the sixth over to send Imrul Kayes for 4. The 11th over saw Umesh Yadav struck twice to pack the skipper Mominul Haque and Mohammad Mithun – both for a duck. The skipper became the victim of a one-handed stunner for Rohit Sharma while Mithun had his stumps uprooted nipped sharply to come back in.

Mushfiqur Rahim was the third successive batsman to get dismissed for a duck when Mohammed Shami joined the party to rattle his stumps. Shadman Islam played some delightful strokes only to get nick the pink ball behind the stumps off Umesh Yadav. The historical match also witnessed two concussion substitutes. Liton Das and Nayeem Hasan, who were hit on the helmet, couldn’t continue to bat as Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam respectively.

Mehidy Hasan, who came in for Liton Das, can’t bowl throughout the match since a concussion substitute has to perform the same role. Eventually, Bangladesh got rolled out for a paltry 106, with Liton Das (24) and Shadman Islam (29) going past the 20-run mark. Ishant Sharma bagged five wickets, his first five-wicket haul at home since 2007 while Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav finished with two and three scalps respectively.

Bangladesh’s tiny ray of only hope after two early Indian wickets:-

Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal got the home side off to a breezy start, taking ten runs off the first over. Al-Amin Hossain hit back by forcing Mayank Agarwal to drive behind point. Instead, the right-hander holed out to the gully fielder Mehidy Hasan in the fifth over. Post the first wicket, Bangladesh kept things extremely tight, yielding four maidens out of the next five overs.

Ebadat Hossain got the second breakthrough in the form of Rohit Sharma in the first over after Tea. India’s most trusted lieutenants in Pujara and Kohli were at the crease. The Indian captain and Cheteshwar Pujara stitched a flamboyant partnership of 94 to beg the tourists back firmly. Pujara brought up a patient fifty in the 36th over by pushing one to the point. Bangladesh struck late in the day by getting Pujara edging to the slip cordon to give Ebadat Hossain his second wicket.

Also Read: Taijul Islam Comes In As Concussion Substitute For Nayeem Hasan

However, Virat Kohli remained unshakable, having scored his 23rd fifty by pulling one to mid-wicket. Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane joined his skipper to end the day with an unbeaten stand of 37 off 41 deliveries. Kohli finished the day with 59 not out, having secured a lead of 68 runs on a dominant day for India, spearheaded initially by Ishant Sharma.