INDORE: Mohammed Shami led an inspired pace attack to give India the opening day honours after they bundled out Bangladesh for 150 in the first Test here at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Shami claimed three wickets, while fellow quicks Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav took two apiece to pack off the tourists early in the final session in Indore.

India were 86 for one at stumps after Rohit Sharma was caught behind off paceman Abu Jayed for six.

Mayank Agarwal, on 37, and Cheteshwar Pujara, on 43, put on an unbeaten 72-run stand to see off the day’s play.

Agarwal survived a repr­ieve on 32 when Imrul Kayes dropped an easy chance at slip off Abu. Pujara looked solid in his 61-ball stay so far as he hit seven boundaries.

But it was the Indian bowlers who stood out after Bangladesh skipper Momi­nul Haque elected to bat on a green wicket at the start of the two-match series.

Yadav, Sharma and Shami took wickets in the morning session before Mushfiqur, who top-scored with 43, and Haque put on 68 for the fourth wicket.

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin broke the stand after getting Mominul bowled for 37. It was his 250th wicket in home Tests, and he added to the tally by then bowling Mahmudullah for 10.

Shami ended Mushfiqur’s resistence and struck on successive deliveries to stop the Ban­gladesh tail from wagging.

Shami bowled Mushfiqur and then trapped new man Mehidy Hasan lbw, prompting the umpires to break for tea. Taijul Islam then played out Shami’s hat-trick ball after the break, but was later run out for one. Yadav cleaned up Ebadat Hossain to wrap up the innings in 58.3 overs.

At the start, Bangladesh endured three maidens before getting their first run through Imrul, but he managed just five more before becoming the first wicket.

Sharma struck in the next over to send Shadman Islam back to the pavilion, also for six.

Batting remained tough for Mominul and Mohammed Mithun, who was trapped lbw for 13 by Shami finding swing and seam movement.

It could have been worse for Bangladesh had India not been sloppy in the field.

Rahane, who spilled three chances at first slip, dropped Mominul when he had made only three, and Mushfiqur survived when put down by skipper Virat Kohli at third slip.

Bangladesh, who lost the preceding Twenty20 series 2-1, had a troubled build-up when star player and captain Shakib Al Hasan was banned for two years, with one year suspended, for failing to report approaches by bookmakers.

The series is Bangladesh’s first in the new world Test championship currently led by India.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings):

Shadman Islam c Saha b Sharma 6 Imrul Kayes c Rahane b Yadav 6 Mominul Haque b Ashwin 37 Mohammed Mithun lbw b Shami 13 Mushfiqur Rahim b Shami 43 Mahmudullah b Ashwin 10 Liton Das c Kohli b Sharma 21 Mehidy Hasan lbw b Shami 0 Taijul Islam run out 1 Abu Jayed not out 7 Ebadat Hossain b Yadav 2 EXTRAS (LB-3, W-1) 4 TOTAL (all out, 58.3 overs) 150 FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-12, 3-31, 4-99, 5-115, 6-140, 7-140, 8-140, 9-148 BOWLING: Ishant 12-6-20-2; Yadav 14.3-3-47-2; Shami 13-5-27-3 (1w); Ashwin 16-1-43-2; Jadeja 3-0-10-0

INDIA (1st Innings): M. Agarwal not out 37 R. Sharma c Liton b Abu 6 C. Pujara not out 43 TOTAL (for one wkt, 26 overs) 86 TO BAT: V. Kohli, A. Rahane, R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, W. Saha, U. Yadav, I. Sharma, M. Shami FALL OF WKT: 1-14 BOWLING (to-date): Ebadat 11-2-32-0; Abu 8-0-21-1; Taijul 7-0-33-0 UMPIRES: Marais Erasmus (South Africa), Rod Tucker (Australia) TV UMPIRE: Narendra Menon (India) MATCH REFEREE: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2019