Chennai, Sep 19 (PTI) Yashasvi Jaiswal’s patient fifty was an exception when other Indian top-order batters failed the test of character that the Bangladeshi bowlers put them through, as the hosts found themselves on the ropes at 176 for six at tea on the opening day of the first Test here on Thursday.
Ravindra Jadeja (7) and Ravichandran Ashwin (21) were at the crease at tea.
Jaiswal made a solid 56 off 118 balls with nine fours amid the damage caused by pacer Hasan Mahmud (4/35).
The Indian batting effort was quite perplexing as neither the pitch nor the bowlers posed any significant challenges, barring the odd moments of difficulty that are part and parcel of Test cricket.
But the home side batters simply did not ace them, as their dismissals appeared more the result of lapse in concentration.
The departure of Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant (39), who added 62 runs off 99 balls for the fourth wicket, stood as a validation for that.
Pant, who looked fluent in the opening session, played a lame waft outside off Mahmud to give an easy catch to stumper Litton Das, ending the first part of the left-hander’s return to Test cricket in 83 minutes.
Jaiswal, the most assured among the India batters on the day, raised his fifty off 95 balls when he turned Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a single, and he looked good for some more.
But a sudden rush of blood pushed the commonsense behind, as Jaiswal went for a drive off Nahid Rana that went straight to Shadman Islam at first slip.
KL Rahul was consumed by off-spinner Mehidy for 16 as India tumbled to 144 for six before Ashwin and Jadeja temporarily checked the free fall.
The second session was a replica of the preceding one when Mahmud tore through the Indian top order with a three-wicket haul.
Once Bangladesh elected to bowl on a muggy Chennai morning, focus was entirely on express quick Rana, but it was the more honest Mahmud who rattled India with a clinical spell.
Rohit Sharma (6), who was saved by DRS when he was on 1, was the first to depart.
The Indian skipper had little choice other than playing a wobble seam delivery that came at him on a tight angle as he edged to his counterpart Najmul Hasan Shanto at second slip.
Shubman Gill (0) lasted just eight balls but he would count himself unlucky, feathering Mahumd’s down the leg side delivery to Litton.
Virat Kohli (6) walked into the Chepauk amid loud cheer from the crowd and looked confident. But an old failing resurfaced to haunt him.
Mahmud pitched one just short of the length outside the off-stump, and the length was not suitable for drive.
But the star batter chose to play an expansive drive with the ball nestling in Litton’s gloves after taking a healthy edge off his bat.
India were 34 for three inside the first 10 overs as a veil of silence fell over the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Gradually, a sizable crowd regained the voice as Jaiswal and Pant played counterattacking knocks to drag India back into the contest.
Jaiswal was all classic correctness as he drove, flicked and swept pacer Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy for boundaries to keep the board ticking.
Pant used his timing and power to good effect to peel boundaries off Rana, and a thundering square cut off the pacer was a treat to watch. PTI UNG AH
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