Kuldeep Yadav puts India in complete command against Bangladesh in 1st Test at Chattogram

India blew away Bangladesh on the second day of their opening Test being played at the Zahur Ahmed Chaudhary Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday, with Kuldeep Yadav’s all-round show leaving the hosts gasping for breath at stumps with the Tigers reeling at 133/8, trailing by 271 runs in the first innings and needing another 71 runs to avoid the shame of following-on. 

Kuldeep Yadav narrowly missed a well-deserving half-century as he played a vital role in with the bat in the company of Ravichandran Ashwin in order to take India to 404 in the first innings, and when the Chinaman bowler was given the ball, returned with a splendid 4-wicket haul to give India complete command of the opening test of this two-Test series.

While Ravichandran Ashwin was also instrumental with the bat scoring a vital half-century and adding 87 runs for the eighth wicket with Kuldeep Yadav, it was fast bowler Mohammed Siraj who provided fire at the top with the ball to take India far ahead of Bangladesh’s reach. 

The right-arm seam bowler Mohammed Siraj accounted for both the Bangladeshi openers Nazmul Hossain Shanto (0) and Zakir Hussain (20) and also removed the inform Liton Das (24) after a verbal spat with the No 4 batsman to help India gain control. 

On the other hand, the veteran India fast bowler Umesh Yadav removed Bangladesh No 3 Yasir Ali to leave the hosts reeling at the start of their reply in the first innings.

But the real damage was caused by Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav who proved unplayable for several Bangladesh batsmen, particularly the wicket-keeper Nurul Hasan (16), who just did not have any answer to the questions asked by the bowler. Kuldeep Yadav accounted for the likes of Mushfiqur Rahim (28), Shakib Al Hasan (3) and Taijul Islam. 

While Ravichandran Ashwin could not produce any wicket on Thursday, he was instrumental with the bat, striking a vital half-century to make 58 from 113 balls with the help of 2 boundaries and as many sixes. 

While bringing up his 12th fifty in Test cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin also helped India go past the 400-run mark, something that did not look in the horizon when India lost their last recognised batsman Shreyas Iyer early on the second day. 

His 87-run stand for the eighth wicket with Kuldeep Yadav consumed 200 balls, something that would certainly have added more to Bangladesh’s frustration given that they had got rid of the major chunk of India’s batting on the first day itself. 

It was a disappointing start for India and Shreyas Iyer on the second day with Bangladesh pacer Ebadot Hossain denying Shreyas Iyer a second century in the format, knocking down the right-handed batsman’s off stump to bring an end to a fine innings of 86 from 192 balls with 10 fours.

The early dismissal of Shreyas Iyer did push India on the back foot but they were able to capitalise the situation gradually, with the patient and quality partnership between Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav. 

India were bowled out for 404 in 133.5 overs with Taijul Islam taking 4/133 and Mehdi Hasan Miraz recording better numbers at 31.5-6-112-4.