DHAKA, Dec 22, 2022 (BSS)-India kept them aloft over Bangladesh, overcoming a valiant effort of Mominul Haque on day one of the second cricket Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium here today.
 
Mominul, who made a comeback to the side with this Test, hit 84 but Bangladesh were dismissed for 227 in their first innings, giving India a chance to hurl the baton.

India however batted cautiously to reach 19 for no loss, weathering the deficit to 208 runs before the bad light brought a premature end to the day.

Shubhman Gill was batting on 14 after hitting one four and one six with captain KL Rahul, who survived a leg-before decision through review, on 3.

Mominul smashed 12 fours and one six for his brilliant knock for which he played 157 balls but most of the Bangladeshi batters squandered their start to sink the team on an otherwise a good batting track.

Fast bowler Umesh Yadav and offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin were the wrecker-in-chief, sharing eight wickets between them. Jaydev Unadkat who returned to India's Test squad after 12 years, took the rest of the two wickets for 50 runs as Bangladesh's first innings came to an end 40 minutes before the end of day's play.

For Bangladesh, the next best was Mushfiqur Rahim's 26 while Liton Das made 25.

Mominul who replaced Yasir Ali in the squad, survived on 11 when India wicket-keeper Rishab Pant put down his catch off Ravichandran Ashwin.
But he refused to bog down, taking a disciplined Indian bowling attack with utmost confidence to keep the side going amid the wickets tumbling around him as Bangladesh failed to build a significant partnerships.

Bangladesh indeed lost last five wickets for just 14 runs with Mominul being dismissed by Ashwin as the ninth batter.

After opting to bat first, Bangladesh openers-Najmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir Hasan-got some support of luck to add 39 runs but both of them were dismissed in the space of three balls, leaving the side at bay.

 Unadkat made a breakthrough dismissing Zakir Hasan for 15 with a delivery that carried extra bounce.

Zakir who made a century on his debut in the first Test could have gone for duck had Mohammed Siraj not dropped him at backward square leg off fast bowler Umesh Yadav in just second over of the day.

Shanto got numerous edges but lucky enough to survive. His luck finally ran out when he got out on 24 after offering no shot against offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Shakib Joined Mominul and played some aggressive shot in a bid to put pressure on India.

However, one shot too many caused his dismissal as he lobbed one straight to Cheteshwar Pujara against the bowling of pacer Umesh Yadav after trying to clear the mid off in the first ball after lunch session. He was 16.

Bangladesh's situation worsened further when they lost Mushfiqur Rahim (26) and Liton Das (25) in this session. Both of them started well and got out after being fully set in the crease.

Unadkat had Mushfiqur caught by Pant with a length delivery that moved slightly but Liton who played some beautiful shots around the wicket, chipped it straight to KL Rahul at midwicket off Ashwin.

In between Mominul raised his 16th Test fifty off 78 balls with a fierce cut towards backward point for four against Unadkat.

Umesh, whose four wickets came off just 25 runs, however found reverse swing in the final session and left Bangladesh at bay. His reverse-swing burst accounted the wicket of Mehidy Hasan Miraz (16) and Nurul Hasan Sohan (6).

Ashwin, who conceded 72 runs for four wickets, then cleaned up the tail, spinning the balls viciously past Bangladeshi tail ender.