India found themselves in a tough spot on day one of the Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, reaching 176 for 6 by tea. Bangladesh, opting to bowl first—a rare decision in India—had early success, with Hasan Mahmud leading the charge. In just his second over, Mahmud dismissed Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, reducing India to 34 for 3. His figures after the first spell stood at an impressive 5-2-6-3.
Mahmud’s consistent good length and subtle movement troubled the Indian top order, especially on a soft pitch under overcast skies. Rohit survived a close lbw shout but edged a ball that nipped away. Shubman Gill’s stay was short-lived, as he was caught down the leg side after just eight deliveries. Kohli, full of intent early on, edged a drive off Mahmud to the keeper, continuing his run of low scores.
Despite the early blows, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant steadied the innings with a 62-run stand. Jaiswal’s fluent 56 was the highlight, but Pant, playing his first Test in over 600 days, couldn’t capitalize on his start. After a powerful square-cut four, he misjudged a short ball and toe-ended it through to the keeper, departing for 28.
Bangladesh tightened their grip in the second session, with Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana bowling much better lines. Zakir Hasan’s brilliant catch at short leg dismissed KL Rahul, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz chipped in with a tidy spell, adding further pressure.
By tea, India had slumped to 144 for 6 before Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja added an unbeaten 32-run stand to lift the spirits. Ashwin, cheered on by the Chennai crowd, played some aggressive strokes, reaching 21* off 19 balls, while Jadeja remained cautious on 7*.
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