CHENNAI: An unbeaten partnership of 138 runs off 190 balls between Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant guided India to a total of 205 runs for the loss of three wickets at lunch on the third day of the first Test of the two-match series at M.A.Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
At the end of the first session on Day 3 of the Chennai Test, India were 205/3 with Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill unbeaten on the crease. They currently have a lead by 432 runs. India scored a total of 124 runs in this session, where 20 oners were bowled. The runs came at a run rate of 4.43 without the loss of any wicket.
The third day of the first Test started with the host India being at 81/3, with Gill (33*) and Pant (12*) unbeaten on the crease. The Rohit Sharma-led side completed the 100-run mark in the 29th over of the third innings. Both batters, Gill and Pant, completed their 50-run partnership in the 38th over as Pant smashed a boundary on the bowling of right-arm off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Gill completed his fifty in just 79 balls in the penultimate ball of 30th over as he slammed a maximum on the bowling of eight-arm spinner. Team India completed the 150-run mark in the 44th over of the innings. The wicketkeeper-batter, Pant, completed his hal-century in the same over as he took a single on the bowling of Mehidy in 88 balls.
Gill and Pant completed their 100-run partnership in the 48th over. Currently, at the end of the first session, both batters have built an unbeaten partnership of 138 runs off 190 balls.
Earlier in the match, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first. The top-order collapsed, and India was left at 34/3. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (56 in 118 balls, with nine fours) and Rishabh Pant (39 in 52 balls, with six fours) stitched a 62-run partnership for the fourth wicket, bringing India into the game. After India was reduced to 144/6, Ravichandran Ashwin (113 in 133 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (86* in 117 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes) stitched a 199-run partnership, helping India reach 376 in 91.2 overs.
Hasan Mahmud (5/83) was the top bowler for Bangladesh, destroying the Indian top order, removing skipper Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0), and Virat Kohli (6). Taskin Ahmed also took three wickets for 55 runs.
In their first innings, Bangladesh lost wickets regularly. Shakib Al Hasan (32), Litton Das (22) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (27*) put up a brief fight for Bangladesh, but Bumrah (4/50) and Akash Deep (2/19) broke the back of Bangladesh batting. Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.
Brief score: India: 376 and 205/3 (Shubman Gill 86*, Rishabh Pant 82*, Nahid Rana 1/21) lead Bangladesh: 149 (Shakib Al Hasan 32, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 27*, Jasprit Bumrah 4/50). (ANI)