Bangladesh four down at stumps on Day 3
Bangladesh lost four wickets in the last session before bad light put an early end to the day's play as the visitors have reached 158-4 at stumps on Day 3 of the first Test against India chasing a mammoth 515 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto has been the team's standout batter so far, unbeaten on 51 off 60 balls and will resume the fourth day's play alongside Shakib Al Hasan, who is not out on five.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Ravichandran Ashwin was India's most successful bowler of the day, picking up three wickets while star Jasprit Bumrah claimed one wicket.
Earlier in the day, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill hit centuries as India declared their second innings on 287-4, after resuming the day's play on 81-3.
Pant raced to 109 off 128 balls while Gill remained unbeaten on 119 off 176 balls.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz dismissed Pant, the only Indian batter to get dismissed on the day, and finished with a couple of scalps in the innings.
In reply, Bangladesh openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam put up a 62-run stand but both eventually threw away their starts, departing for 33 and 35 respectively.
Mominul Haque (13) was deceived by Ashwin and lost his off-stump while Mushfiqur Rahim (13) was caught brilliantly by KL Rahul at mid-on against the same bowler.
Shanto is holding down the fort for Bangladesh at the moment, taking on the Indian spinners from time to time, and has hit the first 50-plus knock in this Test from Bangladesh so far.
But as Bangladesh are still 357 runs away with only six wickets in hand and two days left to play, an India win seems like the foregone conclusion.
Mushfiqur departs, Bangladesh four down
Bangladesh lost their fourth wicket in the post-Tea session with Mushfiqur Rahim departing off the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin as the visitors are now on 146-4, chasing 515 on Day 3 of the first Test against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
After hitting Ashwin for a six with a slog sweep the previous delivery, Mushfiqur charged down the wicket only to mishit the ball. KL Rahul then dove forward and took a brilliant catch to dismiss the batter. The on-field umpires had sent the decision upstairs to check the validity of the catch and the TV umpire decided that catch was taken cleanly.
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, not out on 44, has been joined by Shakib Al Hasan.
Ravichandran Ashwin snuck a ball past Mominul Haque's defences, bowling him out for 13 as Bangladesh have now been reduced to 124-3, chasing 515 on Day 3 of the first Test against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
After the openers departed, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul were slowly repairing the damage and had added 38 runs for the third wicket before the latter's departure put an end to the promising stand.
Shanto, who is playing positively and reached 35 off 41 balls, has now been joined by Mushfiqur Rahim.
Openers depart after Tea
Bangladesh have lost both openers after the Tea break, with Shadman Islam departing by giving an easy catch to Shubman Gill off Ravichandran Ashwin as they are now 86-2, chasing 515 on Day 3 of the first Test against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
Shadman was looking set, reached 35 off 68 balls, before chipped the ball to short mid-wicket where Gill dove forward to take a smart catch.
Earlier in the session, Zakir got caught at slip for 33, ending a 62-run opening stand.
Mominul Haque has now joined skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (14) at the middle.
Zakir departs after Tea
Zakir Hasan departed soon after Tea, getting caught at slip by Yashasvi Jaiswal off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah as Bangladesh are 62-1 chasing 515 on Day 3 of the first Test against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
Zakir made 33 with the help of five fours and a six. Openers Zakir and Shadman Islam had taken Bangladesh to Tea break on 56-0 but could not extend the partnership much longer in the final session.
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto has now joined Shadman, who is batting on 26.
Openers take Tigers to Tea on Day 3
Bangladesh openers made a positive start to their second innings, reaching 56-0, chasing 515, at Tea on Day 3 of the first Test against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
Zakir Hasan was the more positive of the two openers and remained unbeaten on 32 off 38 balls while Shadman made 21 off 40 balls.
This is the first time Bangladesh have had a 50-plus opening stand in Tests in India.
The Tigers, however, are another 459 runs away from an improbable victory,
Earlier in the session, India declared their second innings on 287-4.
India set 515-run target for Tigers
India declared their second innings on 287-4, setting up a mammoth 515-run target for Bangladesh with two and a half days left in the match in the second session on Day 3 of the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
Shubman Gill completed his fifth Test century and remained unbeaten on 119 while Rishabh Pant made 109 off 128 balls, helping India push their lead over 500.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz claimed two wickets while pacers Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana took one wicket each for Bangladesh.
India had resumed the day's play on 81-3. Overnight pair of Pant and Gill remained unbeaten throughout the first session, adding 124 runs to the total to extend the lead beyond 400.
Pant departed soon after Lunch, falling to Miraz after completing his ton, while Gill remained unbeaten.
Bangladesh, who were bundled out for a mere 149 in the first innings, now have a herculean task ahead of them in the fourth and final innings of the match.
Miraz sends back ton-up Pant
Mehedi Hasan Miraz dismissed Rishabh Pant soon after the left-hander notched up his sixth Test century as India are now 234-4, leading by 461 runs in the second session on Day 3 of the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
Pant completed his century soon after the Lunch break and made 109 off 127 balls before giving a return catch to Miraz.
The dismissal also ended a 167-run stand for the fourth wicket between Pant and Shubman Gill, who is on 88.
KL Rahul has now joined Gill at the middle.
Pant survives as India take lead past 400
Bangladesh bowlers are having to struggle to create chances, and they failed to grab the biggest one when arrived, as overnight batters Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill saw India take their lead past the 400-run mark on Day 3 of their first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
India reached 205 for three after 51 overs in their second innings, leading by 432 runs at lunch. Pant remained unbeaten on 82 and Gill made 86 not out.
However, the visitors made a mess of the biggest chance that they were able to create today as skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto dropped Pant on 72 when the left-handed batter skied one after miscuing a slog sweep off a Shakib Al Hasan delivery in the 49th over.
Both Pant and Gill played positively to stitch an unbeaten 138-run fourth-wicket stand since resuming the day on 81 for three under overcast conditions as they took the attack to the Bangladesh bowlers, who are getting almost no purchase from the surface.
Bearing the brunt of most of the aggression from the two batters were Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Shakib as both Pant and Gill were not afraid to use their feet against the spinners. Gill danced down the track to hit Miraz for two sixes in an over, bringing up his seventh Test fifty off 79 deliveries with the second maximum. Gill would go on to hit Miraz for another six later on as well.
Pant, who started the day rather slowly, picked up pace and also smashed a one-handed six over long-off after stepping out of the crease against Miraz.
Pant, who got to his 12th Test fifty, has also not been shy of playing some cheeky shots, scoring boundaries with some slog sweeps off the bowling of Shakib even after being dropped once. Pant also welcomed Shakib into the attack by reverse-sweeping him for a boundary, with which he brought up his 100-run stand with Gill. Pant also struck Shakib for two boundaries in the final over before lunch.
Gill, Pant extend India's massive lead
Overnight batters Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill extended India's lead to 356 runs on Day 3 of their first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
Having resumed the day on 81 for three, Pant and Gill took India's score to 129 for three after 38 overs in their second innings. Bangladesh were bundled out for just 149 runs in 47.1 overs in their first innings yesterday after India posted 376 all out in 91.2 overs in theirs.
Bangladesh bowlers were not able to trouble either of the batters, with Gill playing the aggressor's role in the first hour of the third day. Gill hit off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Mriaz for two massive sixes, bringing up his seventh Test fifty off 79 deliveries with the second maximum.
Meanwhile, Shakib Al Hasan, who became the oldest Bangladeshi to play a Test when he stepped onto the field today aged 37 years and 181 days, has yet to get into action.
Gill and Pant added 62 runs for an unbroken fourth-wicket stand as the Tigers kept on looking for a breakthrough to halt the hosts' momentum.
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