Chennai: Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted that their first-innings batting meltdown, especially a lack of top-order partnership, handed India the advantage in the first Test, allowing them to take a 1-0 lead at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
India crushed Bangladesh by 280 runs with over five sessions to spare. Ravichandran Ashwin’s 6-88 combined with Ravindra Jadeja’s 3-58 bundled out Bangladesh for 234 while chasing 515 in the opening session of the fourth day.
Earlier, Ashwin (113) and Jadeja (86) enabled India to post 376 runs in the first innings after Shanto invited them to bat first. In response, Bangladesh could only manage 149 as India’s pace troika, led by premier speedster Jasprit Bumrah (4-50), Akash Deep (2-19), and Mohammed Siraj (2-30), wreaked havoc on the visitors.
“We didn’t bat well in the first innings. It was a very important phase of the game. We could have been in a better position if we had at least one (big) top-order partnership. There will always be a challenge for the top order to do well, especially in the first innings. It is important to see how we are coping with it. We are working towards it but not getting the desired results,” Shanto said after the match.
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“It is important to spend the time in the wicket, but it wasn’t enough (today),” Shanto said. “Still, it will help for the second Test. It was very important for the openers to put on 62 runs. That’s one thing we can look forward to in the next Test match,” he added.
In the second innings, centuries from Rishabh Pant (109) and Shubman Gill (119*) steered India to a 515 lead as captain Rohit Sharma announced a declaration at 287/4.
Shanto, who was at the crease at the start of play on Sunday, admitted that facing Siraj in the opening spell was challenging. Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan braved the first hour before drinks were taken. After that, Bangladesh lost their remaining six wickets inside 3.3 overs to hand India an emphatic win.
“The morning session was tough today. The way Siraj was bowling. They were all bowling really well. Shakib also batted well. We tried to contribute to the team. We tried to bat as long as we could. Today’s morning session was one positive thing. We didn’t bat well after that,” Shanto said.
“I think it was quite challenging to bat today. They were bowling in the rough. I don’t want to use it as an excuse. These are challenges we have to take,” he added.
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–IANS
Photo: IANS/R. Parthibhan
