Umesh Yadav, Ashwin claim 4 each as India bowl out Bangladesh for 227

Umesh Yadav (4/25) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4/71) excelled with the ball as India bundled out Bangladesh for 227 in 73.5 overs on Day 1 of the second Test in Dhaka on Thursday, December 22.

Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat, who made his Test comeback after 12 years, replacing Kuldeep Yadav in a surprise move, chipped in with 2/50.

For the hosts, Mominul Haque top-scored with 84 after Bangladesh won the toss and batted first. However, no other batter from the team reached the 30-run mark as India kept chipping away at the wickets.

A fourth-wicket stand of 48 between Mominul and Mushfiqur Rahim (26) gave Bangladesh hopes of a fightback. However, they suffered an embarrassing middle and lower-order collapse, losing their last five wickets for a mere 14 runs.

The opening session of the Test was a hard-fought one, with Bangladesh going to Lunch at 82/2. India could have had Zakir Hasan in the second over, but Mohammed Siraj dropped a catch off Umesh’s bowling, running in from fine leg. Siraj also held his shoulder in discomfort after the missed chance.

Left-arm pacer Unadkat impressed on his comeback to Test cricket. He got the first breakthrough for India, having Hasan (15) caught in the slip with a back-of-a-length delivery that bounced a little extra. In the very next over, the 16th of the innings, Ashwin trapped Najmul Hossain Shanto (24) with a length ball that hit the batter on the knee roll and straightened a bit.

Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan looked to take the attacking route again, slamming Ashwin for a four and a six in the 22nd over. He was beaten by the off-spinner in the last over before lunch as he charged down the track. Shakib was done in by the flight, but keeper Rishabh Pant was blinded by the batter and missed the stumping.

Shakib, however, perished on the first ball after Lunch. He chipped a length ball from Umesh straight to mid-off, having made 16. Mominul and Mushfiqur attempted a fightback for the hosts. While Mominul held one end, Mushfiqur decided to take on Ashwin and clubbed him for three consecutive fours in the 38th over. Two more fours followed in the next over, bowled by Unadkat, as Bangladesh seemed to be gaining some momentum.

The dangerous stand ended when Unadkat got a length ball around off to straighten a little from around the wicket and induced a nick from Mushfiqur. At the other end, Mominul reached his half-century by whacking two short balls from Unadkat for boundaries.

The Siraj versus Litton Das battle resumed and the latter decided to make a statement, thumping the Indian pacer for four and six off consecutive deliveries. Ashwin, however, got the big breakthrough for India, dismissing Das for 25. The right-handed batter chipped a tossed up delivery to mid-wicket as Bangladesh lost half their side for 172. Bangladesh went to Tea on Day 1 at 184/5, with Mominul holding the innings together.

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Umesh Yadav dismantles Bangladesh’s lower order

Mominul continued to thwart India in the last session, even launching Ashwin for a six over wide long-on to move into the 80s. Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted with defiance for his 15 before playing a loose stroke outside off and nicking a length ball from Umesh to the keeper.

The Indian pacer had his third wicket of the innings when he trapped Nurul Hasan (six) leg before with another length ball that swung back and rapped the batter on the knee roll. India took DRS after the umpire did not raise his finger and got the original decision overturned.

Umesh continued to trouble the Bangladesh batters, dismissing Taskin Ahmed for one. The Bangladesh tailender attempted to drive a pitched-up delivery, but only managed to scoop the stroke to point. Siraj, who had dropped a catch earlier in the day, did a juggling act but held on to the ball.

Mominul’s resistance also ended when he attempted to leave a carrom ball from Ashwin, but was late in his decision-making and ended up gloving the ball to the keeper. Bangladesh's innings ended rather abruptly when Khaled Ahmed (0) slogged a full-toss to deep midwicket.

In fading light, KL Rahul (three*) and Shubman Gill (14*) batted out eight tense overs as India went to stumps at 19/0.

Rahul was adjudged lbw to his opposite number Shakib in what turned out to be the last over of the day. However, he used the DRS and got the decision overturned as the ball was clearly sliding down leg. Rahul’s survival capped a near-perfect day for India.