Pujara, Iyer rescue India after top order collapse

CHITTAGONG: Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer pulled India out a hole on Wednesday to put their side in a strong position at 278-6 on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh.

India made a brisk start in Chittagong but a double strike by Taijul Islam including Shubman Gill for 20 and danger man Virat Kohli for one left the visitors on the back foot on 48-3.

In between stand-in captain KL Rahul had played on off Khaled Ahmed for 22.

A gutsy 46 by Rishabh Pant including six fours and two sixes helped steady the ship before Mehidy Hasan bowled the wicketkeeper-batsman after lunch.

Pujara and Iyer then came together with India on 112-4 and made the bowlers pay despite signs of spin in the first-day track at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Rock-steady Pujara was bowled by Taijul for his third wicket of the day but not before the Sussex star had grounded out a workmanlike 90 that included 11 fours.

Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan dropped Pujara off Ebadot Hossain on 12 in the second ball of the second session.

Iyer remained unbeaten at the close on 82, while Axar Patel was out on the last ball of the day for 14, trapped leg-before as the second of off-spinner Mehidy’s two wickets.

Iyer was also dropped on 67 and miraculously survived being bowled by Ebadot on 77 when the bails failed to dislodge, leaving the hosts ruing their missed chances.

“I don’t think we are in too much bad position considering the first day of a Test match,” Taijul said.

“We are in good position. Maybe we could have been in a better position if the catches were taken.”

“It happened,” he said of Iyer’s bails mishap.

“The way I was batting, and looking at the pitch, it’s not an easy pitch to bat on,” Pujara said.

“So I am really happy with the way I batted today.”

He added: “My partnership with Shreyas was very important and also with Rishabh once we lost three wickets... We had to build a partnership and put a decent total.”

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan passed a fitness test to lead the home side, with opening batsman Zakir Hasan making his Test debut.

Score Board

India won the toss

India 1st innings

Rahul b Khaled 22

Gill c Yasir b Taijul 20

Cheteshwar Pujara b Taijul 90

Kohli lbw b Taijul 1

Pant b Mehidy 46

Iyer not out 82

Patel lbw b Mehidy 14

Extras: (lb 1, nb2) 3

Total: (six wickets; 90 overs) 278

Yet to bat: Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Bangladesh Team: Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Yasir Ali, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Das, Nurul Hasan †, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain

Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-45, 3-48, 4-112, 5-261, 6-278

Bowling: Ebadot 17-1-63-0(nb2), Khaled 12-2-26-1, Shakib 12-4-26-0, Taijul 30-8-84-3, Mehidy 18-4-71-2, Yasir 1-0-7-0

Umpires: Michael Gough, Sharfuddoula Saikat