Zakir hits ton for BD but India sniff win

CHITTAGONG: India broke through tough resistance from Bangladesh including a century by Zakir Hasan on his debut to be within four wickets of victory on day four of the first Test on Saturday.

Set a colossal target of 513 runs in Chittagong, Bangladesh reached 272-6 at the close, still needing 241 runs, with skipper Shakib Al Hasan on 40 and Mehidy Hasan on nine.

Earlier opener Zakir put on a 124-run opening stand together with Najmul Hossain, a record against India, the pair having hung on in the final session of day three and to lunch on day four.

But in the second session, Umesh Yadav got the breakthrough and ended their stand when Najmul edged the ball into the slips. Virat Kohli initially dropped it at first slip but wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant dived to his left to grab the deflection and Najmul departed for 67. But Zakir, only the fourth Bangladeshi to achieve the feat, scored no more runs and fell for 100 in the final session when Ravichandran Ashwin made him his only wicket so far in the Test. Zakir played a defensive shot but could manage only an inside edge, which took a deflection off his pad to Kohli at slip.

“I only tried to bat as long as possible since we were chasing a big total,” Zakir said after his 224-ball ton with 13 fours and one six.

Score Board

India won the toss

India 1st innings 404

Bangladesh 1st innings 150

India 2nd innings 258-2 (dec)

Bangladesh 2nd innings

Hossain c Pant b Umesh 67

Hasan c Kohli b Ashwin 100

Ali b Axar 5

Das c Umesh b Kuldeep 19

Rahim b Axar 23

Shakib Al Hasan not out 40

Hasan st Pant b Axar 3

Hasan Miraz not out 9

Extras: (b4, lb1, nb1) 6

Total: (six wickets; 102 ov) 272

Still to bat: Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain

Fall of wickets: 1-124 (Najmul), 2-131 (Yasir), 3-173 (Liton), 4-208 (Zakir), 5-234 (Mushfiqur), 6-238 (Nurul)

Bowling: Siraj 15-3-46-0 (nb1), Umesh 15-3-27-1, Ashwin 27-3-75-1, Axar 27-10-50-3, Kuldeep 18-2-69-1

Umpires: Michael Gough, Sharfuddoula Saikat