Bumrah in lead role as India reduce Bangladesh to 112/8 at tea on Day 2

Chennai, Sep 20 (PTI) Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah did the maximum damage as Indian bowlers knifed through the Bangladesh line-up to leave the visitors reeling at 112 for eight at tea on the second day of the first Test here on Friday.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz was batting on 12 when tea was taken, and Bangladesh were still trailing by 264 runs. Bumrah claimed three wickets in his 6.5 overs, while Akash Deep and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with two wickets apiece.

India were bowled out for 376 in their first innings after resuming from the overnight 339 for six.

It was clear that Bangladesh’s confidence was dented after allowing India to build a substantial total from 144 for six, and the approach of their batters reflected it.

With three wickets gone prior to the lunch for a mere 26 runs, Bangladesh needed some cricketing smarts to crawl out of the hole.

But they did not show even an ounce of it, losing a further five wickets while adding 85 runs in the second passage in a little over 27 overs.

The dismissals of Litton Das (22, 42 balls) and Shakib Al-Hasan (32, 64 balls) underlined it. They were looking comfortable in the middle during the course of their 51-run (94 balls) alliance for the sixth wicket.

But Litton chose to play a rather needless uppish sweep off Jadeja (2/18) that was grabbed by substitute Dhruv Jurel, who came in for pacer Mohammed Siraj.

Siraj left the field for a while to tend to cramps.

Shakib’s dismissal was even more bizarre. The vastly experienced left-hander went for a reverse sweep off Jadeja and the ball took a deflection off his boots en route to the big gloves of Rishabh Pant.

Prior to that, Bangladesh also lost the wickets of skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (20) and Mushfiqur Rahim (8) to Siraj and Bumrah respectively as they slipped to deep trouble.

Earlier in the first session, Ashwin (113) and Jadeja (86) departed after adding 199 runs, which came off 240 balls and 189 minutes, across three sessions.

Pacer Taskin Ahmed (3/55) bowled better lines and returned with the wickets of Ashwin, Jadeja and Akash Deep.

Fellow pacer Hasan Mahmud added a fifth wicket to his kitty in the form of Bumrah to bring curtains to the Indian innings.

It was Mahmud’s second successive fifer after bagging one against Pakistan at Rawalpindi earlier this month.

After that feisty effort with the bat, India needed a fine beginning to sustain the momentum, and Bumrah provided it by dismissing Shadman Islam (2).

Soon, Akash added the scalps of Zakir Hasan (3) and Mominul Haque (0) in successive balls to push Bangladesh into a spot of bother, as both the batters fatally played the wrong line.