India have found themselves within touching distance of victory in the first Test of their two-match series against Bangladesh after a resilient batting performance from Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Resuming the fourth day on 273 for 5, the visitors, with a lead of 138, managed to stretch their advantage to 263 with Rohit and Rahane featuring prominently. The former was his usual attacking self, scoring 86 runs, while Rahane played cautiously, scoring 59 on a slow wicket. India’s most remarkable effort, however, came from Ravichandran Ashwin, who scored a century while batting at number 8.
Bangladesh also played with resilience, amassing 317 runs in their first innings. In the second, in spite of the early dismissal of impact player Shakib Al Hasan, scheduled to serve a one-year suspension from international cricket, homegrown star and promising talent Zakir Hasan kept the game in balance with a brilliant 61 before getting caught and bowled by Kuldeep Yadav.
The result of the match is yet to be determined, but India look set to emerge triumphant from Chattogram, as long as their batsmen continue performing well and Kuldeep Yadav can take the last wicket. Despite Zakir Hasan’s best efforts, India inches ever closer to a much-needed victory, which would be a huge boost for morale ahead of the second Test.
India inch closer to Chattogram success despite Zakir Hasan resistance
India clawed their way to a well-deserved victory in the Chattogram Test series, beating Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in the second Test, thanks to Zakir Hasan’s shining resilience for Bangladesh.
A resilient performance from Zakir Hasan
Bangladesh’s Zakir Hasan was the standout performer with an outstanding innings of 93 from 166 balls. The 22-year-old gave India a taste of their own medicine, as he put up a valiant fight and refused to surrender, making the home side scramble to try and take his wicket. His valiant efforts were commendable, as he helped Bangladesh fight hard to make India work for every single run. Despite his resistance, India were eventually able to break through and win the match.
India’s strong bowling performance
India’s bowlers produced an outstanding display in their second Test win, with spin candidates Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin claiming 7 wickets between them. The duo caused plenty of problems for the Bangladeshi batsmen, as they failed to negotiate their way through the wily spin bowling of the Indians, who were adept with varying their pace and line to outfox the opponents.
Conclusion
India’s second Test win was a testament to their strength across all departments. An accurate and relentless bowling attack, combined with Zakir Hasan’s valiant resistance, gave India a well-deserved victory in the Chattogram Test series. The victory put them one step closer to securing the series.
KEY POINTS:
- Zakir Hasan’s valiant performance set up a thrilling finish
- India’s bowlers did an admirable job, with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin leading the way
- India inch closer to success in the Chattogram Test series
