1st Test: Ashwin Strikes Thrice as India Reduces Bangladesh to 158/4

Veteran off-spinner all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin took three crucial wickets as India reduced Bangladesh to 158 for four in 37.2 overs at stumps taken early due to bad light on Day Three of the first Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Saturday.

There are still two more days of the game left with India clearly in the drivers' seat in this match, and it's now a chase for whether Bangladesh, who began the chase well, orchestrate the impossible by making the remaining 357 runs or whether India pick six wickets first. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was unbeaten on 51, while Shakib Al Hasan gave him company on five not out.

Openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam started the final session with their unbroken 56-run stand. The two could add only six runs to their opening partnership before Jasprit Bumrah tempted Zakir to go for a drive and Yashasvi Jaiswal dived to his left at the gully to take a fabulous catch.

Islam and Shanto plundered three boundaries off Ashwin before the off-spinner had the latter flicking to Shubman Gill at mid-wicket, who dived forward to complete the catch. Even while Shanto was growing in confidence with his loft, pull, and reverse sweep, Ashwin continued to strike by getting the ball to curl away from Mominul Haque's outside edge and hit off-stump.

Shanto was still hitting boundaries and was reaching his fifty in 55 balls, sweeping Ashwin over backward square-leg for six. But from the other end, the veteran off-spinner took out Mushfiqur Rahim as he couldn't keep the drive down and K.L. Rahul took a superb forward diving catch at mid-on.

Just after having Mohammed Siraj reintroduced into the bowling after drinks, the players walked off due to bad light and eventually forced early stumps on a day that once again was dominated by India.

Brief scores:

INDIA: 376 and 287/4 dec in 64 overs (Shubman Gill 119 not out, Rishabh Pant 109; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-103) by BANGALADESH: 149 and 158/4 in 37.2 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 51 not out, Shadman Islam 35; Ravichandran Ashwin 3-63) 357 runs.