India reach 174-4 at tea after Taijul blow

Sports Desk :    |    ০৩:২৫ পিএম, ২০২২-১২-১৪

India recovered from a Taijul Islam blow to reach 174-4 at tea on day one of the first cricket Test against Bangladesh at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here today.
 
Taijul struck twice in the morning session to leave India at bay but Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer played patiently as India lost just one wicket at post lunch session.
 
Pujara was batting on 42 from 116 balls with four boundaries with Shreyas Iyer on 41 at the second interval of the day.
 
But it was the wicket of Rishabh Pant that gave Bangladesh some advantage as the swashbuckling batter's hyper-aggressive batting looked to take the game away from Bangladesh with just one hour.
 
The southpaw bottom-edged a delivery of offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, which forced him to be played on as he reached 46 off just 45, hitting six fours and two sixes.
 
India opted to bat first, predicting the pitch would be good for batting and they made a solid start with openers Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, also the captain of the team adding 41 runs.
 
Taijul broke through with the wicket of Gill and later he got the prized scalp of Virat Kohli for 1 to push India back before Rishabh Pant counterattacked.
 
Gill got dismissed on 20 after a premeditated paddle sweep brought the downfall of him.
 
Rahul who is leading the side in absence of injured Rohit Sharma then dragged a modest delivery of pacer Khaled Ahmed on to his stump to be out on 22.
 
However Taijul had Kohli leg-before with a delivery that turned sharply.
Pujara and Pant appeared to be upbeat to rebuild the innings with the latter playing attacking shots in all corners of the park to leave Bangladesh at bay.
 
To make the matter worse, wicket-keeper Nurul Hasan Sohan dropped Pujara on 12 just in the first ball after lunch session.
 
Mehidy meanwhile amended it with the wicket of Pant but Pujara remained rock solid. Taijul Islam had figures of 2-43 while Mehidy and Khaled took one wicket apiece so far.