The ball flew towards Virat Kohli at wide first slip, who was clearly late in reacting. The ball deflected off his palm and went towards wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Thankfully for Umesh Yadav and India, Pant was not as late as Kohli. He was aware to the situation and dived to his left to collect the ball.
Umesh Yadav ended Bangladesh openers’ resistance and gave India the much-needed breakthrough by taking the wicket of Najmul Hossain Shanto in the second session of Day 4 in the first Test in Chattogram. Shanto and Zakir Hasan had defied the tireless Indian bowlers for the entire first session, notching up their first 100-plus opening stand in 2022. Bangladesh were still a long way away from the 513-run target set by India but Shanto and Hasan showed that the hosts won’t give it up easily.
Umesh, who seemed in good rhythm, bowling from around the wicket, got one to straighten to the left-hander in the first delivery of the 47th over of Bangladesh’s second innings. Shanto, who had shown great composure till then, ran out of patience and decided to poke his bat at it only to get an outside edge.
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The ball flew towards Virat Kohli at wide first slip, who was clearly late in reacting. The ball deflected off his palm and went towards wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Thankfully for Umesh Yadav and India, Pant was not as late as Kohli. He was aware to the situation and dived to his left to collect the ball. It was not smooth sailing for even him. He couldn’t grab it on the first attempt and had to juggle before it rested in his gloves.
The expression on stand-in captain KL Rahul’s face narrated the entire story. India desperately needed that wicket and they certainly could ill afford a drop catch.
Shanto had to take the long walk back after playing a really good innings of 68. But he would be disappointed with the shot he played.
After resuming the day at 42-0, the duo reached a century partnership, only the second by Bangladesh openers in the fourth innings of a test.
Shanto raised his third Test fifty off 108 balls, nudging off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for a single through the off-side and grew with confidence as he unleashed some powerful shots to keep India at bay.
Zakir reached his maiden fifty soon after, pushing left-arm spinner Axar Patel through mid-on for a single.
Bangladesh were bowled out for 150 in its first innings, in reply to India’s 404. India didn’t enforce the follow-on and declared its second innings at 258-2 to set Bangladesh its record target to chase.
