IND vs BAN, 1st Test: Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer's Innings Help India End Day 1 On 278/6

Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer added 149-runs for the sixth wicket on Day 1.

India's Shreyas Iyer (R) and Cheteshwar Pujara run between the wickets during the first day of the first cricket Test match between Bangladesh and India at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on December 14, 2022. ( Image Source :Munir uz ZAMAN / AFP )

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, India have ended Day 1 of the first Test match against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on 278/6. While India can hope of getting past the 400-run mark especially with a set Shreyas Iyer still in the middle, it didn't look possible when the visitors lost early wickets. 

If India recovered from 3 down at 48 and then 4 for 112 to end the day with that score, a huge chunk of the credit should go to Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer for the way they played and their 149-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Pujara missed out on an opportunity to get a hundred and was dismissed on 90 off 203 balls by Taijul Islam.

However, Shreyas remains unbeaten on 82.  

Failure for Virat Kohli

While one had anticipated Kohli to continue his good form and make a big score coming on the back off his 72nd international hundred, the star batter departed for just 1 which had left India in a spot of bother in the first session. Stand-in captain KL Rahul and Shubman Gill also failed to chip in with significant scores.

Rishabh Pant did share a 64-run stand for the fourth wicket with Pujara but got out for 46.

For Bangladesh, Taijul Islam was the pick of the bowlers on the first day of the first Test match. Not only did he get rid of Shubman Gill to help the hosts get off to a good start, he even removed big players like Kohli and Pujara, the latter of whom looked set to hit a hundred and had put India back on the track of recovery. 

Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Khaled Ahmed were the other wicket takers for Bangladesh on Day 1 as they ended with figures of 2/71 and 1/26 respectively. 

Axar Patel was dimssed on the final ball of match which would have given hope to the hosts to try and wrap up the tail quickly as Ravichandran Ashwin is expected walk to the pitch along with Shreyas when the action resumes on Day 2.