Bangladesh obtained associate membership from ICC in the year 1979 but they had to wait till the year 1998 to taste their first victory in one-day international cricket. Mohammed Rafique is credited for the victory in that match where he scored a brilliant 77 runs and also took 3 wickets against Kenya in India. The Bangla Tigers earned their Test status in 2000 but struggled to adapt to the nature of the format due to their poorly-structured first-class league.
They faced India in their inaugural Test match and Aminul Islam became the first player to score a century in the country’s Test history. He scored 145 runs in 380 balls with an unimpressive strike rate of 38.15 in the innings. Till date, Bangladesh’s highest total against India is 400 which they scored in their inaugural Test.
On the other hand, even before Bangladesh played in The Asia Cup (in 1986), India had already won a World Cup in 1983. By the time Bangladesh were given Test status, India had a strong Test team with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and captained by the ‘Bengal Tiger’ Sourav Ganguly.
Since 2000, India and Bangladesh have played eight Test matches, the former having won six times and drawn twice. The on-going Test match is the first Test between the sides on Indian soil as the rest of the ties were played in Bangladesh.
Let’s take a look at the highest totals India have amassed against Bangladesh in Test matches.
#5 India 526/10 in 136.4 overs - Dhaka, 2004
It was the first Test match of the 2004 series and having won the toss, India elected to field first. Indian pacer Irfan Pathan, who was just 20 years of age, dismissed five Bangladeshi batsmen to bowl them out for a cheap score of 184. In reply, India did not start well and were reduced to 68 for 3, before Sachin Tendulkar and captain Sourav Ganguly put up 164 runs for the fourth wicket.
After Ganguly's dismissal, Tendulkar managed to stick with the lower order batsmen and brought up his fourth double century. He went on to make an unbeaten 248 runs off 365 balls and it consisted of 35 fours. It remains Tendulkar’s highest score in Test matches.
India scored a massive total of 526 runs in their first innings and were quick to dismiss Bangladesh for just 202. Irfan Pathan took 11 wickets in the Test and was adjusted Man of the Match, in a game that was a one-sided affair with India winning by an innings and 140 runs.
#4 India 540/10 in 148.2 overs – Chittagong, 2004
After an innings victory in the first Test, India made sure they completed a series whitewash with ease. Opener Gautam Gambhir and ‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid put 259 runs for the second wicket as both of them ended up with centuries. The former scored his first Test hundred and the latter got out after scoring a boundary-filled 160 runs. India ended their innings at a mammoth score of 540 after captain Ganguly ran out of partners in his knock of 88.
In reply, Bangladesh kept losing wickets at regular intervals, with only Mohammed Ashraful posing a challenge to the Indian bowlers, scoring an unbeaten 158 runs in Bangladesh’s quest to avoid the follow-on. Eventually, they fell 7 runs short of the margin and Ganguly was quick to enforce the follow-on.
Following-on, Bangladesh succumbed to Irfan Pathan who snatched his third five-fer of the series. Their score of 124 is registered as the third lowest score in Test matches against India. The visitors emerged as the winners of the series without any trouble.
#3 India 544/8d in 133 overs – Dhaka, 2010
Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first after losing the first Test match of the 2010 series against India. Indian seamers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma ran through the batting order to reduce them to 51 for 5. Then walked in Mahmudullah who made a gritty 96 and remained not out to take Bangladesh to 233 runs.
The Indian top order batted brilliantly with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir bringing up elegant fifties. Dravid and Tendulkar scored centuries, with the latter scoring another century, with a score of 143 runs. Captain MS Dhoni was another player who scored a half-century with India reaching 544 for 8 before declaring.
In the second innings, Tamim Iqbal scored an aggressive 151 runs before Zaheer Khan sent the rest of the batting line-up packing. He ended up with figures of 7 for 87.
India won the match as well as the series after they chased a target of two runs in second innings.
#2 India 610/3d in 153 overs – Dhaka, 2007
This was the second Test match of the series and Bangladesh had secured a draw against Indians for the first time in the previous match. The home team won the toss and chose to field, but to their agony, they failed to pick up any wicket at the end of the first day’s play. India piled up 326 runs on the first day with three centurions. The second day was worse as a total of four Indian batsmen scored centuries.
Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik and seasoned Ranji Trophy opener, Wasim Jaffer, brought up their hundreds before the Dravid and Tendulkar scored hundreds to lead India to a humungous total of 610 runs for the loss of just 3 wickets.
The Bangladeshi batsmen faltered again after Zaheer Khan wrapped them up for 118. Following on, Bangladesh scored 253 to give India a victory by innings and 239 runs.
#1 India 687/6 in 166 overs – Hyderabad, 2017
In Bangladesh’s first ever Test in India, KL Rahul departed early, on a wicket which was good for batting. Opener Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara’s stroke-filled partnership provided a solid platform for the Indian middle order. Vijay scored 108 which included 12 fours and a six. As the third session commenced, Virat Kohli, who was just on 17 at tea, piled up 94 runs in no time to notch up his 16th ton in Test matches.
On Day 2, Ajinkya Rahane brought up his fifty and joined Kohli to keep the scoreboard ticking, but eventually fell in the 80s, like Pujara. However, Kohli continued his stunning form to record his fourth double ton as Indian skipper. He is now the first player to reach that landmark in four consecutive Test series.
In the end, Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja strung a century partnership and the former scored his second Test ton.
Kohli decided to declare with 14 overs left in the day. India finished 687 for 6 which is their highest total against Bangladesh in Test matches.
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