Bangladesh make cautious start to massive chase v India

CHENNAI, India :Bangladesh reached 56 for no loss in a cautious start to their pursuit of a humongous victory target of 515 against India in the opening test between the neighbouring countries on Saturday.

Openers Zakir Hasan (32) and Shadman Islam (21) were playing positively until the third day's tea break. But the tourists will need an extraordinary batting effort to save the test.

Earlier, Shubman Gill struck an unbeaten 119 and Rishabh Pant (109) smashed a hundred in his comeback test before India declared their second innings on 287-4.

The hosts were in the ascendancy since routing Bangladesh for 149 in the first innings and claiming a lead of 227 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

Gill signalled their positive intent when the elegant right-hander clobbered off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz for two sixes in an over to reach his fifty.

Pant took a more conventional approach, a single off the spinner, to bring up his half-century in his first test since a horrific car accident in late 2022.

Bangladesh squandered a chance to break the stand when skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto dropped Pant on 72.

Rubbing salt into the wound, Pant hit Shakib for back-to-back fours in the left-arm spinner's next over and beat Gill to the 100 mark.

Pant smashed 13 fours and four sixes in his sixth test hundred before giving a return catch to Mehidy.

Gill, whose fifth test hundred included 10 fours and four sixes, could not be dislodged though.