BAN vs IND, 2nd Test, Day 1 recap: Umesh Yadav, R Ashwin pick up four each to put hosts on back-foot

India commanded Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh as the bowlers shone to bundle the hosts for 227 in less than three session in Dhaka.

The visitors, who had won the first Test by 188 runs, dropped left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav – who was named player of the match in the first Test for his eight wickets – and brought in pacer Jaydev Unadkat instead. While that selection resulted in several reactions, Unadkat did well to make his first day in Test cricket after 12 years memorable.

BAN vs IND, Watch: Jaydev Unadkat ends 12-year long wait, picks first Test wicket at Dhaka

Bangladesh made two changes, bringing in Taskin Ahmed for the injured Ebadot Hossain and Mominul Haque for Yasir Ali.

BAN vs IND: Reactions as visitors drop Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat makes comeback – ‘Bittersweet’

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Bangladesh’s scoring rate was strong in the first two sessions, owing mostly to Haque’s efficiency and multiple stroke-filled cameos, but he remained the only batter in the Bangladesh line-up to not throw away his start. Meanwhile, R Ashwin and Umesh Yadav picked four wickets each to put India in the driver’s seat.

India began their first innings with an hour to spare in the day and finished with 19/0 in eight overs, ensuring a comfortable position to begin Day 2.

Here’s a look at the session-wise recap of Day 1:

Morning session

It was an occasion to remember for Unadkat who picked up his first Test wicket, one that had been in the waiting, twelve years since his debut in South Africa in 2010. He had tweeted about wanting to make the red-ball proud back in January, and his relentless toiling at the domestic level finally brought him closer to that. He was the first-wicket taker in the Dhaka Test, dismissing the previous match’s centurion – opener Zakir Hasan – for 15 runs.

The pitch had been showing glimpses of sharp turn and variable bounce early on itself but it wasn’t until Ashwin had the other opener Najmul Hossain Shanto LBW that there was a real impact. With two quick wickets to avoid a solid opening partnership, and Bangladesh allowing the momentum to slip early, India had just the start they needed.

However, Bangladesh recovered rather well in the session despite the inconsistent bounce making it tough to bat on. While Haque appearing to be in fine form, skipper Shakib Al Hasan was attempting to counterattack from the other end. Rishabh Pant missed a stumping opportunity and Ashwin could have had his second wicket but it wasn’t to be in this session.

In the session - 28 overs, 82 runs, 2 wickets

Post-lunch session

India claimed the advantage right away in the second session as Umesh struck to dismiss captain Shakib for 16 runs in the first over after lunch. After the last encounter between Mohammad Siraj and Litton Das in the Chattogram test, some tension was brewing this time around too. The pacer had the last laugh then but Das appeared to want to avenge that. He went after Siraj with boundaries and a six, putting on another counterattack after Shakib. However, Ashwin struck again and made sure his contribution ended at 25 runs.

Unadkat was having an outing to remember as he did not have to wait too long this time to claim his second wicket.

Mushfiqur Rahim, who shared a 50-run partnership with Haque for the fourth wicket, played some aggressive shots, including three successive fours off Ashwin, before Unadkat forced him into giving a catch to Pant. Bangladesh needed Haque and one of their lower order batters to stay on.

In the session - 29 overs, 102 runs, 3 wickets

Post-tea session

Bangladesh did not have much to write home about as they crumbled in the session following tea. All out for 227 in 73.5 overs, the hosts lost their last five wickets for just 14 runs. Umesh bowled an impressive spell in the session to finish with 4/25, first sending back Mehidy Hasan for 15 runs, breaking his 41-run stand with Haque. He followed it up with the wicket of Nurul Hasan in his next over and dismissed Taskin Ahmed soon after to complete his four-wicket haul.

Bowling well in tandem was Ashwin who also picked up a four-for. While Umesh had been picking wickets, Ashwin had been building pressure. But it all paid off when he first took the wicket of the well-set Haque for 84 runs with a carrom ball and wrapping the Bangladesh first innings up by taking the last wicket, Khaled Ahmed.

KL Rahul and Shubman Gill then went on to bat for eight overs before stumps were called on Day 1 due to insufficient light. In the short duration that India’s batters were at the crease, the openers weren’t as fluent but they did enough to survive the day. Rahul looked especially nervy and just about survived a dismissal, thanks to DRS. All in all, it was a day that started and ended very well for India.

In the session - 24.5 overs, 62 runs, 5 wickets