DHAKA, 23 Dec: Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer almost hit centuries as India finished the second day of the second test against Bangladesh with an 80-run lead.
Pant (93) missed his sixth test century by seven runs while Iyer continued his rich vein of form with 87. The pair helped India reach 314 all out on Friday — an 87-run lead — after Bangladesh was earlier dismissed for 227.
Bangladesh was 7-0 at stumps in its second innings with Najmul Hossain (5) and Zakir Hasan (2) surviving six difficult overs.
Bangladesh squandered chances to dominate India on an eventful day.
Left-arm spinners Taijul Islam (4-74) and Shakib Al Hasan (4-79) shared eight wickets to contain India’s lead.
Pant and Iyer put on 159 runs for the fifth wicket to help India take the lead after Bangladesh had reduced the visitors to 94-4.
Pant smashed seven fours and five sixes. Iyer hit 10 fours and two sixes.
“I love and thrive under challenges, pressure lifts me,” Iyer said. “Pant kept me calm and composed … You can’t judge anything as there is variable bounce and movement. The contribution of the bowlers was commendable. We need to bowl the right level and other things will take care of themselves.”
Taijul had ripped through the top order as India resumed the day at 19 without loss. He successfully reviewed a leg-before decision to remove captain KL Rahul for 10 after which he got rid of Shubman Gill (20). Gill was also trapped lbw while trying to sweep a delivery that didn’t turn as much as he expected, leaving India at 38-2.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli appeared set to rebuild the innings, dominating the spinners astutely but Mominul Haque took a sharp catch at short leg to get rid of Pujara on 24 off Taijul.
Bangladesh then got the big wicket, thanks to fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who moved one slightly but that was enough to tempt Kholi (24) to poke it to wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan.
Pant survived twice — on 11 when Litton Das failed to grab a catch at slip off spinner Mehidy Hasan and later on 59 against the same bowler.
Iyer got a life on 15, when Mehidy put down a catch at gully off Taskin Ahmed’s delivery.
“You will not get those chances everyday against a big team like India, so those were costly,” Taijul said. “Hopefully we’ll recover. I think if we can bat throughout day three, we have the chance to set a 250-run target and, on this wicket, this target is enough.”
Pant raised his 11th half-century off just 49 balls. Iyer later brought up his fifth 50 off 60 balls, pulling pacer Khaled Ahmed for a single through fine leg.
Pant’s concentration was broken when a fan invaded the pitch. When play resumed, Pant edged Mehidy’s delivery behind to be out in the 90s for the sixth time in his career.
Iyer was out trying to play a sweep shot against Shakib.
The tailenders added a valuable 43 runs for India, in contrast to Bangladesh which lost the last three wickets for eight balls. (PTI)