Pant’s comeback hundred lets India set Bangladesh huge target in Chennai test

CHENNAI, India (AP) — Rishabh Pant struck a century in his comeback test as India set Bangladesh a 515-run target to win the first test on Saturday.

An unlikely chase was even more unlikely when Bangladesh was reduced to 158-4 by stumps on day three.

Pant, playing his first test since a near-fatal car crash in December 2022, scored 109 off 128 balls to help India reach 287-4 in its second innings when it declared.

Shubman Gill added an unbeaten 119.

In reply, Bangladesh lost four wickets after tea with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto resisting with 51 not out off 60 balls. Shakib al Hasan, 5 not out, was with him when bad light stopped play. Bangladesh needs 357 more runs.

Earlier, Pant and Gill shared 167 runs for the fourth wicket. They put on 124 runs in the wicket-less morning session.

Pant reached 50 off 88 balls, while Gill got there off 79 deliveries, as India went to lunch at 205-3.

After lunch, Pant equaled MS Dhoni’s record for most test hundreds by an India wicketkeeper. Dhoni scored his six hundreds in 90 tests; Pant reached the milestone in his 34th test.

Pant was seriously injured in a single-car crash in December 2022, last playing test cricket against Bangladesh earlier that month. He was away from the game for 17 months recuperating from knee and back injuries before returning this year for the Indian Premier League. He was also part of India’s T20 World Cup campaign.

Pant reached 100 off 124 balls, and hit 13 fours as well as four sixes.

Gill reached his fifth hundred off 161 balls and stayed unbeaten until the end.

Pant was dismissed after his century, caught off Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while Lokesh Rahul was 22 not out at the declaration.

Bangladesh went to tea at 56 without loss in 13 overs as openers Zakir Hasan (33) and Shadman Islam (35) put on the highest opening partnership for the visitors on Indian soil.

Only one wicket fell in Saturday's first two sessions as opposed to 23 wickets across the first two days.

After tea, Jasprit Bumrah got the breakthrough, as Hasan was caught at gully. Yashasvi Jaiswal took a low one-handed catch to his left.

Ravichandran Ashwin then picked up 3-63 as he ran through the Bangladesh top order. He troubled the batters with bounce and induced them into false shots.

Opener Shadman Islam was out caught at midwicket by a diving Gill. Then Mushfiqur Rahim was out for 13, again to a brilliant forward diving catch by Rahul at mid-on.

In between, Ashwin bowled Mominul Haque for 13 as Bangladesh was reduced to 146-4.

Skipper Shanto reached his fourth half-century off 55 balls. He hit four fours and three sixes.

___

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket