Published: Feb 12, 2017, 07:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Feb 12, 2017, 07:33 AM (IST)
India will aim to bounce back after Bangladesh surprised them with sturdy partnerships which propelled the visitors to 322 for 6 on Day Three of the one-off Test. India could manage only 5 wickets on the third day, as the wicket remained suitable for batting and Bangladesh made most out of it. Shakib Al Hasan top scored with 82, but Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim will soon surpass his tally as he is on 81 not out. Shakib and Rahim added 107 runs for the fifth wicket that sparked Bangladesh’s recovery, which was capped off by an unbeaten 87-run stand between the latter and Mehedi Hasan, who scored his maiden Test fifty and reached 51 not out. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs Bangladesh, one-off Test at Hyderabad
Rahim reached 81 not out. He, along with Mehedi, added 87 for the seventh wicket in the final session. Bangladesh did not lose any wicket in the final session, which marked somewhat a strong recovery for the visitors who had lost three early wickets on the third day. Shakib scored a rapid 82, but Sabbir Rahman disappointed when he missed to connect a sweep shot and fell for 16. For India, Umesh Yadav continued to be the pick of the bowlers.
Both India and Bangladesh shared honours on the third day. India began by removing Tamim Iqbal, Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah in quick succession, but a sturdy 107-run stand between Shakib and Rahim led Bangladesh’s recovery. IND vs BAN Test, Day 3: Umesh’s reverse-swing, Mushfiqur’s jumbling between wickets, and other highlights
Tamim and Mominul were involved in a mix-up while trying to steal a second run that was never possible. Umesh Yadav’s quick throw at the non-striker’s end resulted in Tamim being run out for 24, and Mominul departed soon after struggling against India’s seamers who were at their best.
Shakib and Rahim added runs at a brisk rate, but not before the former teamed up with Mahmudullah to provide stability to Bangladeshi innings. Shakib and Mahmudullah added 45 quick runs to lead a counterattack. Mahmudullah struggled against the moving ball and was trapped leg-before for 28 before lunch, which marked a successful session for India.
The post-lunch session witnessed Bangladesh adding more than 70 runs in the first hour. Shakib and Rahim were belligerent against the Indian bowlers, especially against the spinners.
Having struck 14 boundaries already, Shakib played one shot too many. In the 63rd over, he decided to launch Ravichandran Ashwin over mid-on, but the spinner cramped the batsman for room and Shakib ended up playing it straight to the fielder.
Sabbir Rahman could not provide the support Rahim would have wanted from him, as the pair added a mere 19 runs from 9 overs before the former was removed by Ravindra Jadeja for 16.
Rahim has been the lynchpin of the Bangladeshi innings. After having two ordinary days as Bangladeshi captain as well as making several mistakes with his wicketkeeping, Rahim has tried compensating. He has so far faced as many as 206 balls to get to 81 not out, which has held the visitors’ innings together. Rahim survived a run-out appeal when he was batting on 18, earlier on the third day. He responded late to a call for a single from Shakib and had to bring out a desperate dive to save himself from being run out. The TV replays showed the shoulder of the bat, which was on the line (which technically should have been given out). However, Chris Gaffaney, the third umpire from New Zealand, decided to give the benefit of doubt to the batsman as there were doubts if a small portion of the bat was inside the crease.
Rahim teamed up with Mehedi Hasan to keep India wicketless in the final session. The two batsmen have so far added 87 runs for the seventh wicket, which has taken Bangladesh to their fifth score in excess of 300 in Test cricket.
Mehedi continued to take giant strides in international cricket as he brought up his maiden half-century in Test cricket, cracking 10 boundaries and reaching 51 not out off 103 balls. His defence looked near-perfect against the probing line and lengths of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, which will raise visitors’ hopes of getting as many runs as possible on the fourth day.
For India, Umesh turned out to be the pick of the bowlers not because he bagged 2 wickets, but he bowled a terrific spell of seam bowling in the first session.
