BAN vs IND, 1st Test, Day 1, Top Performances: Pujara-Iyer 149-run stand rescues India

Bangladesh vs India, 1st Test, Day 1, Top Performances: Cheteshwar Pujara's 90, Shreyas Iyer's 82 and Taijul Islam's 3-84 are top performances from Day 1. Kuldeep Yadav gets a place in playing XI for India. Zakir Hasan debuts for Bangladesh.

Pujara-Iyer added 149 runs for 5th wkt against Bangladesh on Day 1 (Source: ©BCCI/Twitter)

Brief Scores: India 278/6 (Pujara 90, Iyer 82*, Taijul 3/84) against Bangladesh at stumps on Day 1

After a memorable One Day International (ODI) series victory over India by a 2-1 margin, Bangladesh locked horns with the visitors for the first of the two-match Test series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.

Since 2000, the two teams have played 11 Tests where Bangladesh have managed only two draws, with India winning the remaining nine matches.

Kuldeep earns spot as Bangladesh drop veteran Mominul Haque

With regular Test captain Rohit Sharma being out of the first Test with thumb injury, KL Rahul assumed leadership duty for India who would also be without key members of their side in Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.

India captain KL Rahul on winning the toss opted to bat first on a track that had a decent covering of grass, but it wasn't a big turner either. Bangladesh dropped their former captain Mominul Haque and handed a debut cap to Zakir Hasan who became the 101st Test player for Bangladesh. India, on the other hand, added Kuldeep Yadav to their playing XI to complete a three-pronged spin bowling attack along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel.

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Pujara-Iyer record 149-run stand carries India to 278/6

Opting to bat first, India began decently with a 41-run opening stand between KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, before they lost three wickets for just seven runs. Rishabh Pant’s counter-attacking knock of 46 off 45 deliveries steadied them as India went to Lunch being placed at 85/3. When Pant was dismissed after the break, Shreyas Iyer and Cheteshwar Pujara put up a vital partnership between them for the fifth wicket to carry them to 174/4 to the Tea break.

The 149-run stand between them which was the highest fifth wicket stand for India in Tests against Bangladesh, was broken late in the day when Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed ten short of his welcome century, but both of them put India in a good position as the tourists finished the day at 278/6 in 90 overs, losing Axar Patel on the last ball of the day.

Let’s scan the top performances from Day 1 of the first Test between Bangladesh and India at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

Cheteshwar Pujara playing a shot during his 90 runs innings (Source: ©BCCI/Twitter)

Pujara misses another vital century to finish on individual score of 90

Coming into this Test match, India’s prolific batter Cheteshwar Pujara had some decent time in the middle, as he scored 52 runs for India A during the second unofficial Test match against Bangladesh A in Sylhet.

After a decent opening stand of 41, Pujara walked into the middle and began to play in his normal style which consists of spending a copious amount of time in the middle and getting used to the spin and pace of the track.

Pujara was dropped on 12 on the second ball of the second session as he took full use of the chance. He smashed Ebadot Hossain cunningly through the first slip and the wide second slip, before guiding a short ball behind point for his third boundary.

Pujara then smacked Ebadot for another boundary through covers, before scything Taijul through point for a boundary to celebrate his 34th Test fifty. He suddenly decided to increase the pace of his innings as he rocked back and swivelled to play a pull against Shakib Al Hasan through mid-wicket.

Pujara skipped down the track and used his wrists to flick Taijul to the deep mid-wicket region for a boundary before drilling him wide of mid-on for another boundary. Just when he reached near the magical three figure mark, Pujara was dismissed on 90 in 203 balls with the help of 11 boundaries.

Pujara during his innings of 90 became the eighth highest run-scorer for India in Tests with a tally of 6882 runs in 97 Test matches at an average of 44.11. He went past Dilip Vengsarkar who has a tally of 6868 runs from 116 Tests at an average of 42.13.

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Shreyas Iyer remains not out on Day 1 on 82 runs (Source: ©AFP/Getty Images)

Shreyas Iyer saves India with his unbeaten 82 runs

Since coming into the Test match arena, Shreyas Iyer has took to this format like a duck to water scoring truckloads of runs and he has been phenomenal in all formats of the game in this year too.

When Pant was dismissed with India’s score at 112/4, Shreyas Iyer made his way into the middle and got a lucky boundary on his very first ball that was edged and went wide of the slip fielder. He soon used his feet to loft Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a boundary over mid-on region, before smashing the same bowler through point for another boundary.

Iyer drove Yasir Ali’s over-pitched ball to the covers, before driving Ebadot Hossain for a boundary through the same region. With another boundary against Shakib Al Hasan on the backfoot over the mid-wicket region, Iyer notched up his fourth Test match fifty. He hit another boundary that was whipped against Mehidy over the mid-wicket region.

Iyer then unleashed the back foot cut against Mehidy for another boundary, before getting another chance on 67 when Ebadot Hossain dropped a dolly. Shreyas Iyer looking good for his second Test match century remained unbeaten on 82 in 169 balls at stumps on day 1.

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Taijul Islam impresses with 3-84 on Day 1 against India (Source: ©AFP/Getty Images)

Taijul Islam shows consistency with 3/84

On a track that had a layer of grass, Bangladesh needed someone who could show some patience with his bowling to pick up wickets, and no one could be better than Taijul Islam who is a regular Test match bowler.

Taijul was effective in drying up the runs in his first three overs, before sending back India opener Shubman Gill on 20 who needlessly got down to play a premeditated paddle sweep as the ball popped up off the top-edge and ended in the hands of the first slip.

Couple of overs later, Taijul caged the ‘big fish’ Virat Kohli on 1, who in trying to play a short ball on the backfoot saw it spinning sharply and striking him on the back leg as the umpire raised his finger. The DRS review too couldn’t save Kohli as Taijul picked up Kohli’s wicket for the second time with the red ball.

Coming late in the day for his 28th over of the day, Taijul Islam with the new ball sent back a set Cheteshwar Pujara on 90 who playing for a turning ball saw the ripper going straight and cleaning the off stump.

The left-arm spinner finished the day with 3/84 in his 30 overs to carry his Test match wickets tally to 161 in 39 games.

What to expect on Day 2

India will look to bat for at least two more sessions while Shreyas Iyer will be looking for his second Test century. The more India will bat, the more time will be spent to open the cracks on the surface that will prove to be really beneficial for the three-pronged spin attack of India. The hosts will look to restrict India under 350 and then post a good total on the board.

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