On an overcast morning, despite the overnight and early morning rains, India resumed their innings with determination. The stage was set after brilliant centuries by Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, who forged a formidable 167-run partnership, leaving Bangladesh facing a daunting target in their final innings.
The start of the day’s play saw Pant immediately setting a brisk pace, dispatching a pull shot off Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a boundary. This shot was soon followed by another controlled pull for four off Hasan Mahmud, signaling India’s aggressive intent. Shubman Gill, in contrast, began with a cautious approach, but it didn’t take long for him to show his class. Gill advanced down the pitch to Mehidy, launching two sixes to raise a well-deserved half-century. This quick fifty was part of a larger effort that saw India’s lead stretch comfortably beyond 350 runs. Despite the relative restraint in the first hour, where India accumulated 48 runs in 15 overs, Pant and Gill continued to exert pressure on the Bangladeshi bowlers.
Thirty minutes into the second hour of play, Pant reached his half-century. Having started the day on 12 off 13 deliveries, he maintained a steady pace, needing 88 balls to reach the milestone. It was a careful yet opportunistic strategy from both batsmen, capitalizing on every loose delivery. Gill, meanwhile, masterfully took advantage of a slow, short ball from Mahmud to engineer a four, followed quickly by a brilliant inside-out shot from Pant off Mehidy that resulted in a boundary. Gill, showing his intent to dominate, struck his third six over long-on, further consolidating India’s position.
Pant continued to innovate, executing a reverse-sweep off Shakib Al Hasan to bring up the century partnership. Sensing a message from the dressing room to accelerate, Pant switched to a higher gear, playing a commanding punch shot for a boundary off Mahmud.
. He also displayed ingenuity with a lap shot that cleared the boundary for six. Gill, not to be outdone, transformed a ball from Shakib into a full-toss and elegantly placed it wide of cover for another four. Adding to Bangladesh’s woes, their skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto dropped a catch, granting Pant a lifeline. The relentless onslaught continued as Pant struck two more boundaries off Shakib in the last over before lunch, further asserting India’s dominance.
Post-lunch, Pant’s aggressive approach bore fruit as he swiftly progressed through the 80s and 90s with a series of boundaries, ultimately reaching his sixth Test century. This milestone was a significant one, marking Pant’s memorable return to Test cricket after a two-year hiatus. However, his innings came to an end soon after, as he was caught and bowled by Mehidy.
Shubman Gill, unperturbed by the fall of his partner, continued his assured batting. He skillfully clipped his way to his fifth Test century, helping India pile on the runs and deepen Bangladesh’s predicament. With more than an hour left in the second session, India declared with an imposing lead of 514 runs, setting Bangladesh a Herculean task to chase.
Bangladesh’s response began with cautious optimism as their openers, armed with the determination to make a strong start, reached the break unbeaten with a 56-run partnership. Though facing a mammoth target, this solid start provided a glimmer of hope for a resilient innings and an opportunity to restore some pride after a challenging day dominated by the masterful performances of Pant and Gill.
Brief scores: India 376 & 287/4 decl (Shubman Gill 119*, Rishabh Pant 109) lead Bangladesh 149 & (56/0) by 467 runs. As Bangladesh’s openers look to build on their confident start, the cricketing world watches to see if they can mount a remarkable resistance or if India will continue their march to victory.