Ishant Takes Five-for, Bangladesh Bowled out for 106 Before Tea
Ishant Sharma led a lethal pace attack with a five-wicket haul as India blew away Bangladesh for a paltry 106 even just as the floodlights were being turned on during the opening day of the 'Pink Ball Test' on Friday.
Kolkata, Nov 22 (PTI) Ishant Sharma led a lethal pace attack with a five-wicket haul as India blew away Bangladesh for a paltry 106 even just as the floodlights were being turned on during the opening day of the 'Pink Ball Test' on Friday.
At tea, India safely negotiated the twilight period to reach 35 for 1 losing Idore Test hero Mayank Agarwal's (14) wicket but quality of contest failed to match the manic hype created due to the novelty factor.
Rohit Sharma looked shaky remaining unbeaten on 13 off 30 balls after getting a reprieve at his favourite Eden Gardens. Cheteshwar Pujara was seven from 21 deliveries as Indria railed by 71 runs.
Ishant grabbed his first five-wicket haul on Indian soil after a good 12 years, finishing with 5 for 22 in 12 overs. Umesh Yadav hurried the Bangladeshi batsmen for pace with 3 for 29 in 7 overs while Mohammed Shami was deadly bowling the cutters wide off the crease with figures of 2 for 36 in 10.3 overs.
He also bowled two sharp bouncers that accounted for Liton Das (24 retd hurt) and Nayeem Hasan as concussion substitutes.
Bangladesh lasted just 30.3 overs in their first innings with specialist spinners Ravindra Jadeja bowling a solitary over and Ravichandran Ashwin wasn't even required to roll his arms over.
As the world watched with keen interest about India taking pink plunge after it came into existence four years ago, the number one ranked side's pacers made ripples that included two concussion substitutes for the first time in a Test.
Bangladesh not only seemed blinded by the pink colour in batting but in fielding too with Al Amin grassing a Sharma sitter at square leg.
Clearly the menacing Indian pace attack exposed Bangladeshi's lack of technical finesse as the 'Pink Ball Test' was agreed upon three days before their tour departure on the initiative of newly-elected BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.
Bangladesh batsmen looked unsettled by the capacity crowd, something they have never encountered even in their home Tests and the world-class bowling made it even more difficult.
Such was their plight that for the first time in the subcontinent, batsmen Nos 3, 4 and 5 (skipper Mominul Haque, Mohammad Mithun, and senior-most player Mushfiqur Rahim) were all dismissed for a duck.
Pushed into the unknown territory without any practice back home, Bangladesh opening duo of Shadman Islam and Imrul Kayes survived some anxious moments in the first six overs before Ishant Sharma trapped the latter.
Umesh then triggered the collapse in his second spell with two wickets in three balls, first being skipper Mominul who was dismissed by a beautiful diving one-handed catch by Rohit Sharma.
Next was Mohammed Mithun beating him by pace as it sharply cut in with the batsmen playing on to his stumps.
Despite the catching scepticism surrounding the pink ball, Saha looked a class act behind the stump as usual as the ball was swinging a lot after moving the batsman.
His low catch of Mahmadullah, outstretched and dragged across Virat Kohli at the first slip, was the highlight of his keeping as he also completed a milestone of 100 dismissals in longest format.
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