IND vs BAN, 1st Test, Day 3 Lunch: Indian Pacers Demolish Bangla Top-Order Yet Again

In reply to India’s 343-run lead, the Bangla Tigers were reduced to 60/4 in the morning session of day three

No relief there for Bangladesh as they face yet another top-order collapse in the second innings of the Indore Test against India on Saturday. In reply to hosts’ 343-run lead, the visitors were reduced to 60/4 in the morning session of day three. At the time of lunch break, Mushfiqur Rahim (9*) was at the crease along with Mahumudullah Riyad (6*). Bangladesh are still 283 runs behind. Bangladesh lost their first wicket in the sixth over of the day, with Umesh taking off Imrul Kayes' leg stump. In the very next over Ishant bowled through Kayes' opening partner Shadman Islam's defence and hit middle and leg. The visitors did not have any reprieve after that with Virat Kohli shooting his pacers at them. In the 13th over, Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque seemingly got a lifeline when the umpire did not raise his finger for an LBW appeal off Mohammed Shami. Kohli went for the review, however, and replays showed that the ball would have hit the leg stump. The Bangladesh captain walked for 7 and his team were 37/3 in 13 overs. Two overs later, Shami bowled a bouncer at Mohammad Mithun which the latter could only lift straight into the hands of Mayank Agarwal at midwicket. Earlier this morning, the Indians declared their first innings score of 493 for 6, taking a hefty 343-run lead. Mayank Agarwal top-scored with a career-best 243. His innings was laced with 28 fours and eight sixes, equalling Navjot Singh Sidhu’s 25-year-old record of most sixes in an innings by an Indian batsman. Besides Mayank, Ajinkya Rahane (86), Cheteshwar Pujara (54) and Ravindra Jadeja (60 batting) scored half-centuries as the Indian batters toyed with Bangladesh bowlers who lacked the acumen to stop them besides Abu Jayed who returned best figures of 4/108, his career-best. On day one of the match, India had bundled out Bangladesh for a below-par score of 150 runs. Mohammed Shami was the highest wicket-taker for India as he scalped three wickets.