There was an eerie silence in Indore, much in contrast to the hubbub on an opening day. The Indian skipper Virat Kohli was making his walk back to the pavilion for a two-ball duck. It was an over after Cheteshwar Pujara was sent back, and the opening hour of the second day’s play in the first Test belonged to Bangladesh.
Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane, however, ensured the scales tipped back in India’s favor with an unbeaten fifty-run stand in good time that took India into the lead when they went for Lunch on 188 for 3 on Friday (November 15), leading by 38, with over 100 runs coming in that session.
Abu Jayed’s lionhearted effort didn’t go unrewarded, despite India’s scoring rate in the opening hour being on the higher side. Two dropped catches off his bowling in the innings didn’t deter him as he kept running in and hit the deck hard. Pujara was dropped early on in the session off him when a slash flew to gully where Mehidy Hasan only managed to get fingertips on to it as the batsman reached his fifty off just 68 balls. The drop didn’t cost Bangladesh a lot though, as Pujara was snaffled in a similar fashion a few overs later.
There was all talk for the need of Bangladesh’s bowlers to bowl the fuller length, which they failed to do consistently yesterday. In the case of Pujara, as it was for Rohit Sharma, it was a fuller one that did him in, luring him into the drive, only for the edge to be caught by a substitute at gully for 54.
They didn’t have the same luck with Mayank, who was dropped yesterday on 32. He went on to not just get to his sixth half-century but is on the brink of another Test century, unbeaten on 91. Mayank offered no chances after his dropped chance. before Bangladesh struck back with Kohli’s wicket.
The Indian skipper played across the line and missed a slightly shorter ball completely to be trapped leg-before. The on-field umpire thought otherwise, but Bangladesh was rewarded for their good call for a review, with Jayed accounting for all the wickets to fall.
It brought Ajinkya Rahane to the middle who looked in sublime touch. He surpassed the 4000-run mark in Tests en route his unbeaten 35. Mehidy Hasan, who was introduced very late into the attack, was getting some turn, but the pair used their feet well against him and Taijul Hasan to keep them at bay, adding 69 runs at the break.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 150 (Mushfiqur Rahim 43, Mominul Haque 37; Mohammed Shami 3-27) trail India 200/3 (Mayank Agarwal 91*, Cheteshwar Pujara 54, Ajinkya Rahane 35*; Abu Jayed 3-58) by 38 runs.
