NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India crushed Bangladesh by an innings and 130 runs inside three days after Mohammed Shami led the hosts’ superb display of hostile seam bowling in the opening test in Indore yesterday.
After India declared their first innings on their overnight score of 493-6, their pace attack, led by Shami, claimed four wickets in the morning session to effectively seal the fate of the match.
Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 64, forged fifty partnerships with Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz but Bangladesh still could not make India bat again and were all out for 213.
Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 3-42 but it was Shami and his pace colleagues who inflicted telling blows that Bangladesh could never recover from.
“It’s a clinical performance all around,” India captain Virat Kohli said afterwards.
“We were really good with the bat. Playing with five batters with one guy taking responsibility, that’s what we want.”
India opener Mayank Agarwal was adjudged man-of-the-match for his career-best 243.
Earlier, India’s massive 343-run first innings lead convinced Kohli to declare on their overnight score at Indore’s Holkar Cricket Stadium.
Kohli wanted his quick bowlers to exploit the early morning conditions and it proved a smart decision as Bangladesh lost both their openers inside seven overs.
Umesh Yadav induced Imrul Kayes into a drive, only for an inside edge to crash into the leg stump.
In the next over, Ishant Sharma breached the bat-pad gap to send back Shadman Islam. The openers made six each, mirroring their first innings score.
Mominul Haque, who made seven, survived a review before falling to one which India challenged – an original not-out decision after Shami had rapped the Bangladesh captain on his pad.
Mohammad Mithun hit four boundaries in his 18 but was jolted by a Shami (4-31) bouncer which he pulled tamely to Mayank Agarwal at midwicket.
Liton and Mushfiqur briefly resisted India with a 63-run stand. Ashwin took a sharp return catch to send back Liton who made 35 and went on to dismiss Mushfiqur as well.
Bangladesh were bundled out for 150 in the first innings after opting to bat on a green track, a decision that pleased Kohli who wanted his quicks to exploit the morning conditions on Thursday.
“Definitely… it was a difficult decision,” Mominul said when asked if the decision he made after winning the toss affected the team’s performance.
Kolkata hosts the second and final match, which will be the first day-night test for both sides, from Nov. 22.
