The rain-hit one-off Test ended in a predictable draw at Fatullah yesterday. But not before hosts Bangladesh faced the embarrassment of following-on and managed to stave off an Indian ambition for an improbable win in the final session of the final day.

Bangladesh came out to bat in their second innings after they were bundled out for 256, seven runs short of the follow-on mark. They were left to negotiate the remaining 30 overs of the day that included a mandatory 15 overs, which openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes safely played out scoring 23 in 15 overs before India skipper Virat Kohli started handshakes all around in fading lights.

The Test, which has been a subject of inclement weather, could offer only 184.2 overs in five days including a total no show on the second day.

The sun did come out just before the lunch break yesterday, allowing two sessions of play only to expose Bangladesh's batting flaws. Resuming on 111 for 3 in reply to India's massive 462 for 6 declared, Bangladesh fell in a heap against the twin off-spin attack of Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh, with the two combining to take eight wickets.

The procession started with Shakib Al Hasan when the left-hander fell to Ashwin, manufacturing a cut shot against a packed off side cordon with two slips, one silly mid-off and a silly-point.

Another overnight batsman Imrul Kayes charged down the wicket against Harbhajan only to be stumped for 72 off 139 balls. Soumya Sarker chopped a back of a length delivery from Varun Aaron on to the stumps while the dismissal of Shuvagata Hom, who put on 43 runs for the seventh wicket with Litton Das, gave the proof that a batting-heavy team was not the solution for success.

Debutant wicketkeeper-batsman Litton however kept the hopes of avoiding the follow-on alive, but Ashwin ended his excellent innings to complete his five-for and make the hosts bat again as Mohammad Shahid and Jubair Hossain, the last batsman who was run out, failed to keep Taijul Islam, who was not out on 16, company.

Litton looked calm and compact and had plenty of shots too, but he tried to tuck a ball which turned and bounced from outside off and only got an inside edge to reach the safe hands of Rohit Sharma at left.

The draw marked a disappointing start for the Kohli era as the result pulled India down to the fourth position from third in the ICC Test rankings. Rain might have ruled the Test, still some individuals excelled in the middle. Ashwin claimed his first five-wicket haul outside India, man-of-the-match Shikhar Dhawan (173) entertained the Fatullah crowd with some exciting strokeplay, Murali Vijay scored a flawless 150 and Ajinkya Rahane hammered a fluent 98.

The home side that hit the headlines after dropping front-line pace bowler Rubel Hossain from the match also got some bowling boost with Shakib returning among the wickets, young leg-spinner Jubair making a good impression and Litton showing signs of rivalling Mushfiqur behind the wicket.

But their batting performance in the match provided ample food for thought ahead of the two-match Test series against South Africa at home next month.

In the end, the lesson perhaps the Indians have learnt the most is that June-July in Bangladesh is not good for Test, let alone a good result.