Hasan Mahmud made early inroads into India’s batting lineup before Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant formed a steady half-century partnership, helping India recover in the opening session of the first Test in Chennai. After Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto elected to bowl in overcast conditions, Mahmud capitalized on the conditions, picking up three quick wickets. Jaiswal and Pant, through their unbroken 54-run stand, guided India to 88/3 at lunch on Day 1.
Taskin Ahmed posed an early challenge to Jaiswal, generating sharp bounce and movement that repeatedly beat the outside edge. He also troubled Rohit Sharma, with one delivery nipping back sharply. Rohit survived a close Bangladesh review after Mahmud struck him on the pad, with the umpire’s call narrowly going in his favor. The moisture in the pitch provided ample assistance to the Bangladesh seamers, making life difficult for the Indian openers. Rohit broke the deadlock with a boundary past point off Mahmud, and Jaiswal followed suit with a flick for four off Taskin.
Related: Regular strikes keep India in check
The partnership was soon disrupted when Mahmud got one to seam away from Rohit, who edged to Najmul at second slip. Jaiswal responded confidently, hitting consecutive boundaries off Taskin—a cover drive and a straight drive. However, India faced another setback when Shubman Gill was caught down the leg side off Mahmud for a duck. Virat Kohli, returning to Test cricket after a lengthy break, looked steady but edged a wide Mahmud delivery to the wicketkeeper for just six, leaving India struggling at 34/3 within the first hour.
Nahid Rana, introduced as the first-change bowler, tested the Indian batsmen with pace and bounce. Pant, playing his first Test in nearly two years, got off the mark with an authoritative cut shot over backward point off Rana. Mahmud continued to trouble the batters with his probing line in an extended first spell, but a loose delivery on Jaiswal’s pads allowed the opener to find the boundary and take India past 50.
Pant began to find his rhythm, driving Rana through the covers and pulling confidently for back-to-back boundaries. Jaiswal and Pant also rotated the strike effectively, maintaining a steady scoring rate. Jaiswal took on Mehidy Hasan Miraz, striking two boundaries in his first over. Pant survived a short ball from Taskin that fell short of the fielder and later edged a delivery from Mehidy, but it fell just shy of first slip. Shadman Islam’s late reaction allowed the ball to reach the boundary, bringing up the 50-run partnership for the duo.
Pant and Jaiswal stabilize India after Mahmud’s fiery spell
Early Breakthroughs by Hasan Mahmud
Hasan Mahmud made an impactful start by denting India’s top order during the first session of the opening Test in Chennai.
Opting to bowl in overcast conditions, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto saw immediate success as Mahmud delivered an exceptional early spell, claiming three quick wickets. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant then formed a steady half-century partnership to help India recover, reaching 88/3 by lunch on Day 1.
Taskin Ahmed’s Early Challenge
Taskin Ahmed bowled with skill, delivering several excellent deliveries early on to Jaiswal. He generated both bounce and movement, frequently beating the outside edge, and also managed to get one delivery to sharply nip back into Rohit Sharma.
Rohit survived a close Bangladesh review after Mahmud struck him on the pad, with the umpire’s call going in his favor. The seamers were assisted by the moisture in the pitch, making it difficult for India’s openers to settle. Rohit opened his boundary count with a drive past point off Mahmud, followed by Jaiswal’s flick for four off Taskin.
Rohit’s Dismissal and Jaiswal’s Response
The opening partnership came to an end when Mahmud bowled a delivery that moved away from Rohit, causing him to edge to Najmul at second slip. Jaiswal, undeterred, responded confidently by hitting two boundaries off Taskin—a cover drive and a straight drive. India suffered another setback soon after when Shubman Gill was caught down the leg side off Mahmud for an 8-ball duck.
Virat Kohli, returning to Test cricket for the first time since January, started cautiously but edged a wide delivery from Mahmud to the wicketkeeper for 6, leaving India in trouble at 34/3.
Nahid Rana Tests Pant and Jaiswal
Nahid Rana, brought in as the first change bowler, tested the Indian batsmen with his pace and bounce. Rishabh Pant, making his Test return after nearly two years, showed his intent by cutting a delivery over backward point off Rana.
Mahmud continued his probing lines during an extended first spell, troubling the batters. However, a loose delivery on Jaiswal’s pads allowed the opener to find the boundary and take India to the 50-run mark.
Pant and Jaiswal Steady the Innings
Rana’s pace suited Pant, who confidently dispatched a full ball through the covers and played a commanding pull shot for consecutive boundaries. Pant and Jaiswal rotated the strike effectively, maintaining a healthy scoring rate.
Jaiswal took on Mehidy Hasan Miraz in his first over, hitting two boundaries. Pant survived a short ball from Taskin, which fell short of the fielder, and later edged a delivery from Mehidy that narrowly evaded first slip, allowing the ball to run to the boundary and bring up the 50-run partnership.
Brief scores: India 88/3 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 37*, Rishabh Pant 33*; Hasan Mahmud 3-14) vs Bangladesh.
