There was a huge influx of fans on Day 3 compared to the first two days of the Test at Chepauk. With India in the lead and two set batters at the crease, fans’ expectations were high, and they were treated to exceptional innings from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. Both scored centuries, while KL Rahul contributed a quickfire 22, allowing India to declare just short of 300 and set a target well past 500 runs. In reply, Bangladesh started strongly but lost momentum after the tea break, ending a dark and gloomy day at 158/4, still needing 357 runs to win.
Last night, it rained in Chennai, and clouds lingered throughout the day. What appeared to be ideal conditions for fast bowling turned out to be illusory. There was no movement for Hasan Mahmud or Taskin Ahmed, and even the spinners found no assistance. With little to trouble the bowlers, stroke-making became easy. Gill and Pant, two of India’s finest stroke-makers, made full use of the flat conditions in Chennai to secure their respective hundreds. For Pant, it was particularly memorable, as it marked his first century since returning from an accident. He batted flawlessly, mixing caution with aggression, which was the standout feature of his innings. Gill, too, continued from where he left off the previous day, impressing with his footwork against both pace and spin.
When three wickets fell yesterday, a large total seemed daunting, but Pant and Gill changed the narrative within a session and a half. The bowlers struggled to create chances; there were only two. Taskin Ahmed had Gill playing an aerial shot, but Taijul Islam dropped a difficult catch. Pant also miscued a shot, which was again dropped, this time by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. The energy levels dropped, and it was clear that Bangladesh appeared dispirited and demoralised, seemingly waiting for India to declare rather than striving to take all ten wickets.
Shanto looked lost, as if he had run out of ideas. An amusing moment occurred when Pant humorously advised him to place a fielder on the leg side, which he complied with —highlighting how disengaged the captain had become, forgetting to fill that position and allowing batters to score freely. After Pant’s dismissal, Rahul came in and played an unbeaten 22 off 19 balls, which should bolster his confidence for the next Test.
Bangladesh made a strong start with the bat in their second innings, negotiating the first 13 overs before the tea break. However, it took India only three overs to break through, with Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Zakir Hasan, brilliantly caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at point. Following that, Ashwin, who hadn’t taken any wickets in the first innings, claimed three scalps. He bowled a stunning delivery to dismiss Mominul Haque, while Mushfiqur Rahim was caught attempting an aggressive shot, with Rahul executing a spectacular diving catch.
Brief scores: India 376/10 (Ravichandran Ashwin 113, Ravindra Jadeja 86; Hasan Mahmud 5/83) & 287/4 (Shubman Gill 119*, Rishabh Pant 109; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 103) vs Bangladesh 149/10 (Shakib Al Hasan 32, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 27*; Jasprit Bumrah 4/50) & 158/4 (Najmul Hossain Shanto 51*, Shadman Islam 35; Ravichandran Ashwin 3/63).