IND vs BAN, 1st Test, Day 3: Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill hundreds take India lead beyond 500. Bangladesh need 357 runs to win the Test. Top highlights from Day 3 of Chennai Test.
Brief Score: IND 376 & 287/4 dec (S Gill 119*, R Pant 109) lead BAN 149 & 158/4 (Najmul Shanto 51*, R Ashwin 3/63) by 356 runs at Stumps on Day 3.
On a cloudy morning in Chennai on Day 3, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill put India in command against Bangladesh after smashing their respective centuries in quick time. Thanks to their 167-run stand, India piled up 287 in the second innings before setting up a near-impossible target of 515 runs for the visitors.
Bangladesh positively began their pursuit, but the home side kept them at bay with regular wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin was the star with the ball, taking three of the four wickets to fall before stumps to go along with his century in the first innings.
Talking Point: Positive cricket from both teams
The main talking point of the day must be the approach of both sides concerning batting. Earlier in the day, India, already ahead by a significant margin, batted positively, and the architects were Pant and Gill. Notably, both made centuries at a strike rate of over 65. This is the intent the India think tank was talking about, and it was very much on display on Day 3.
Likewise, Bangladesh, who were behind the eight ball, kept their first innings disappointment aside and batted fearlessly. The visiting batters kept the tempo high throughout the innings (run rate of 4.23), even though they were chasing a mighty target.
Read More: IND vs BAN, 1st Test, Day 2: Bumrah takes 4-50 to skittle out Bangladesh for 149; India 308 ahead
Gill and Pant extend Bangladesh’s misery in first session
Starting the day on 81/3 in rather overcast conditions, the overnight pair of Gill and Pant played a waiting game. They scored 48 in 15 overs in the first hour of play, with the former reaching his half-century. But post a drinks break, Pant quickly shifted gears by zooming from 36 to 82 in the next hour as the pair brought up their 100-run stand in 161 deliveries. They added 124 runs in the session, extending their lead to 432.
Bangladesh openers put up strong fight post ‘Gill-Pant’ show
The first hour of the second session belonged to the two young stars of India cricket, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. The left-hander wasted little time in bringing up a 124-ball 100 on his comeback to Test cricket. This was his sixth overall in the format. Soon, he departed against the run of play, breaking his stand with Gill on 167.
But the Punjab-born surged past his fifth Test ton in no time. This was Gill’s third Test ton in his last five games and a much-needed one after a failure in the first innings. The home team declared their second innings at a score of 287/4, having added 82 runs in about 13 overs.
Bangladesh’s openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, who have had a tough time off late, came with a positive mindset on what was still a great surface to bat on. The pair remained unbeaten as the visitors wiped 56 runs off the target.
Read More: IND vs BAN, 1st Test, Day 1: Ashwin-Jadeja 195* stand rescues India; hosts 339-6 at stumps
Visitors continue to score at brisk pace, and India bowlers scalp four
India bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Burmah bowled a couple of tight overs that led to Zakir Hasan playing a loose shot off the latter, resulting in his dismissal. Yet Bangladesh batters, especially skipper Najmul Shanto, continued to take the attack to India. But the ace off-spinner Ashwin turned things in favour of the home team by picking three wickets. Shanto remained unbeaten on 51 as Bangladesh ended day 3 on 158/4, still needing 357 runs.
What to expect on Day 4?
India will look to wrap up the Bangladesh innings by taking the rest of the six wickets as early as possible given there is a threat of rain in Chennai for the next 2 days. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will want to continue to play with a positive mindset and keep the home team on the field as long as possible.
Statistical highlights from India vs Bangladesh, 1st Test, Day 3
- Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill recorded a mammoth 167 runs for the fourth wicket. This is India’s fourth-highest stand for that wicket against Bangladesh.
- Pant brought up his sixth Test century, and this put him level with MS Dhoni for most Test tons by a designated India wicketkeeper.
- Pant’s 109 is the highest Test score as a wicketkeeper for India versus Bangladesh.
- Similarly, Gill’s unbeaten 119 puts him third on the list of highest scores by an India batter at No. 3 versus Bangladesh in Tests.
- India have smashed 85 sixes in Tests thus far in 2024 in just seven matches. This is the third most number of sixes hit by a Test team in a calendar year after 89 by England in 2022 and 87 by India in 2021.
- This was Gill’s third Test century in the second innings of a game and Pant’s second.
- Zakir & Shadman registered the first fifty-plus opening partnership in Tests for Bangladesh against India in India.
- Ashwin became the joint eighth-highest wicket-taker (519) in Test history and levelled with West Indies great Courtney Walsh.
Read More: Ravichandran Ashwin: India’s special no. 8 batter cum magician
