What happened on Day 3 of the 1st IND vs BAN 2024 Test?
Team India are in a commanding position to go 1-0 up in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. At stumps on Day 3 of the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, September 21, Bangladesh were 158-4, chasing a huge target of 515. The visitors need a further 357 runs for victory.
After India declared their second innings on 287-4, Bangladesh got off to a defiant start in the second innings, courtesy of their openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam. The duo added 62 runs for the first wicket before Jasprit Bumrah ended Zakir's stay at the crease for 33. The Bangladesh opener drove at one away from the body and Yashasvi Jaiswal took an excellent catch at gully.
Islam (35) also failed to convert his start. The left-hander attempted a flick off Ravichandran Ashwin, but got a leading edge, which was smartly held at short midwicket by Shubman Gill. Ashwin had his second when he got one to turn past Mominul Haque's (13) outside edge and knocked down the off stump.
There was further joy in store for the home boy as Mushfiqur Rahim (13) perished in his endeavor to take on the canny off-spinner. The veteran batter danced down the track to a tossed-up delivery, but miscued his stroke and was brilliantly caught by a diving KL Rahul at mid-on. Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (51*) and Shakib Al Hasan (5*) were at the crease when bad light forced stumps.
Pant, Gill tons dominate India's batting stint on Day 3
Earlier, India resumed their second innings on 81-3 and declared on 287-4, having gained a massive lead of 514. Rishabh Pant, playing in his first red-ball game for India since December 2022, notched up his sixth Test ton, drawing level with his idol MS Dhoni. As for Gill, he went on to post his fifth Test hundred.
Both Indian batters were dominant with the willow on Day 3 as the hosts pushed for declaration. Pant hammered 109 off 128 balls, with the aid of 13 fours and four sixes. On the other hand, Gill struck 10 fours and four maximums in his unbeaten 119 off 176 deliveries.
The fourth-wicket stand was worth 167 and ended when keeper-batter Pant perished to Mehidy Hasan Miraz, chipping a return catch to the Bangladesh off-spinner. Rahul came in and helped himself to a breezy 22* off 19 before Rohit Sharma decided to declare the innings.