The Free Press Journal

Sh-amazeballs!

One of skipper Kohli’s primary weapons, Mohammad Shami is now the most successful bowler in the second innings of a Test match in the last two years — having taken 51 wickets in 20 innings, surpassing Australia’s Pat Cummins (48) and South Africa’s Kagiso

- ANAND SHIVRE

India cruised to their sixth consecutiv­e Test win in style bundling Bangladesh out for 213 in the second innings on the third day of first Test played here at Indore's Holkar Stadium — thanks to one of the most hostile fast bowling performanc­es in recent times.

Having had declared overnight with 343 on the board, the seamers set up the pounding that India handed Bangladesh innings and 130-run defeat well inside third day of a game on Saturday.

From early morning, the quick victory was on predicted lines after home bowled Bangladesh out for 150 in the first innings and declared their first innings on their overnight score of 493 for six.

The victory also gave India 60 points, and they strengthen­ed their position in the World Test Championsh­ip table with 300 points in their kitty. The thrashing also completed a hat-trick of innings wins for them, having beaten South Africa in the second and third Test in the previous series.

For Bangladesh, the only bright spot was Mushfiqur Rahim's fighting knock of 64 as he delayed Bangladesh's slide to an innings defeat on the third day. But Ashwin sent him back, ninth wicket to fall, caught brilliantl­y by Cheteshwar Pujara.

While the third session once again saw the Bangladesh batting flounder, it was only the second session when Mushfiqur, Liton

Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz ensured that they showed applicatio­n and gritted it out in what otherwise looked like a game that would finish on the third afternoon in the postlunch session.

The game was completely dominated by the Indian pace bowlers as they first rattled out Bangladesh for 150 in the first innings and then picked four wickets in their second innings in the first session itself on Saturday.

It was a game where Mohammed Shami (match haul of 7 wickets), Umesh Yadav (4 wickets overall) and Ishant Sharma (3 wickets) scared the hell out of an opposition that showed little stomach for a fight, save senior player Mushfiqur Rahim (64, 150 balls, 7x4), who delayed the inevitable. Ravichandr­an Ashwin (match haul of five wickets) complement­ed the pacers, chipping in with wickets at regular intervals.

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