Day 3: India tighten grip over B’desh as Gill, Pant slam fluent fifties

Duo exploits inability of Bangladesh bowlers to make the best out of a cool, damp morning with sensible shot-making

Chennai: Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant cantered to fluent fifties as India reached 205 for three at lunch in their second innings on the third day to take total control of the first Test against Bangladesh here on Saturday.

Gill (86 batting) and Pant (82 batting), who have so far added 138-runs for the unbroken fourth wicket, were at the crease at the end of the first session with India, overnight 81 for three, extending their lead to 432 runs.

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Gill, beginning the day from 33, and Pant, resuming from 12, exploited the inability of Bangladesh bowlers to make the best out of a cool, damp morning with sensible shot-making.

The Indian pair took on Bangladesh bowlers in their own inimitable ways. Minimalism is quintessential to Gill’s batting as he plays shots with little flourish.

The short-arm pull from in front of the face or that zero follow-through punch through the covers, which he often executed off Nahid Rana and Mahmud Hasan, might not be out of the batting manual but productive nonetheless.

Gill took another solid step forward in his growing familiarity with Test cricket here, bringing up an individual fifty off 79 balls, and is looking good for more.

Pant, on the other hand, is playing his first Test after 2022, and celebrated his re-entry with a fifty of his own after getting dismissed cheaply in the first innings.

The left-hander started rather sedately, perhaps wanted to get his eye in before opening up. The breakaway moment came when he pulled off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a four around the first drinks break of the day.

Since that point, Pant’s dismantling of Miraz became a feature of the innings as he brought up his fifty off 88 balls. Once that fifty was achieved, the 26-year-old unfurled some of those typical Pant shots.

Pant moved around the crease like a trapeze artist, and his scooped six over fine leg off Mahmud enthralled a sizeable weekend crowd here. He was dropped on 72 by Najmul Hossain Shanto off Shakib Al Hasan as India added 124 runs in the session.