Axar Patel puts India on top against Bangladesh despite debutant Zakir Hasan’s ton

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel claimed 3/50 as India maintained their ascendancy on Day 4 of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram on Saturday, December 17. Resuming their fourth innings on 42/0 loss, Bangladesh went to stumps at 272/6, still needing a further 241 runs for victory on Day 5, with only four wickets left.

Debutant opener Zakir Hasan was the standout performer for the hosts, scoring a memorable hundred. Hasan occupied the crease for 224 balls, during which he hit 13 fours and one six. He looked in complete control out in the middle until his dismissal. Bangladesh did not lose a single wicket in the first session of play, but Axar led India’s fightback with help from Umesh Yadav (1/27), Kuldeep Yadav (1/69), and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/75)

Bangladesh's openers displayed excellent resolve in the first session as the hosts went to Lunch at 119/0. Najmul Hossain Shanto struck two fours off Mohammed Siraj’s bowling early in the day’s play. Hasan looked solid as India’s bowlers failed to make much of an impact. Shanto reached a patient half-century in the 31st over of Bangladesh’s innings, pushing Ashwin for a single towards cover.

Siraj tried to break Shanto’s concentration by sledging him, but the Bangladesh opener preferred to smile back. Shanto raised the 100-run stand in style, pulling Siraj to the deep midwicket boundary. Hasan also reached an impressive fifty on his Test debut by pushing Axar for a single to mid-on. While India still held the upper hand at lunch on Day 4, the first session clearly belonged to Bangladesh.

A smart reflex catch was needed by keeper Rishabh Pant to end Bangladesh’s stubborn opening stand. Shanto (67) edged a wide delivery from Umesh, which was dropped by Virat Kohli at slip. However, the ball popped up and Pant dived to his left to complete a brilliant one-handed catch. The opening partnership added 124 runs in 46.1 overs.

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Probing Axar breaks Bangladesh’s resistance

Axar came up with a beauty to knock over Yasir Ali for five in the 50th over of the innings. The left-arm spinner got one to dart in at a good length on the middle and off. The ball turned enough to beat Yasir’s forward push and clean him up. Hasan, however, continued to defy the Indian bowlers, displaying some good defense. India were desperate for a wicket and could have dismissed Litton Das for 14 in the 65th over with some better luck

Kuldeep got one to spin back into the batter and rapped him on the pads. The umpire did not raise his finger. Replays showed the ball clipping the leg stump, but Das survived on umpire’s call. The left-arm spinner, however, had his man a few overs later as Das (19) lobbed a googly towards long-on. It was a much-needed wicket just before the end of the second session, lifting India’s hopes. Bangladesh went to tea at 176/3.

Hasan continued to bat in impressive fashion in the last session. He got into the 90s by lofting Kuldeep for a six and brought up his hundred on Test debut by sweeping Axar for a four. Hasan’s excellent innings, however, ended exactly on 100. The left-hander tried to defend a full ball from Ashwin on the middle and off. However, he got an inside edge, which ballooned off his pads towards the first slip. Kohli completed a well-judged catch, diving forward.

Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan came in and displayed an aggressive mindset right away, smacking Axar for four and six off consecutive deliveries. India could have had Mushfiqur Rahim’s wicket in the 87th over, but Pant could not hold on to a catch. Pacer Umesh squared up the batter and induced an edge. The keeper dived to his right, but the ball hit his fingers and went down.

The let-off did hit hurt India though, as Axar produced his second beauty of the innings to dismiss Mushfiqur for 23 in the next over. The veteran Bangladesh batter played for the one that came in but the ball spun past the outside edge and smashed the off-stump.

Axar got his second wicket of the over and third of the innings when he had Nurul Hasan (three) stumped. The left-arm spinner beat Hasan with a full delivery and forced him out of his crease. Pant did the rest with some lightning-quick glove work.

At stumps on Day 4, Shakib was batting on a brisk 40 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz on 9.