Ashwin keeps India going after Iyer’s exit

On a foggy morning in Chattogram, India managed to push their total to 348/7 by lunch, adding 70 runs overnight as they lost just one wicket.

Bangladesh, whose spinners ended the first day well, started with a different attack, claiming two wickets in the last five innings. The main player was fast bowler Ebadot Hossain who took a few wickets along with the well-placed Shreyas Iyer and rookie R Ashwin.

Earlier, he had reviewed LBW against Ashwin before the short ball almost fell. Shreyas Iyer, who added three to his overnight score of 82, was caught on a hook that deflected to his right leg. But Liton Das ran down the left and missed the chance. But Abadot’s disappointment was short-lived. Soon after, he bowled a length ball as a substitute and saw Iyer trapped inside the crease. The stumps were sent on a cartwheel and with India seven runs short of 300 runs, they were in danger of being dismissed quickly.

The other man, Kuldeep Yadav, survived a look back at 0 when the ball hit his pads and Ashwin stepped in to provide some cover. Finally, with calculated chances, India looked to cross the 300 mark. He lifted Mehidy Hasan for a six over long on and smashed boundaries off his hips against the pacers to add good runs for India.

Kuldeep, who was only batting on the 19th ball, hit fours – a pull and then a sweep – as India closed in on 350 in an unbeaten 55-run partnership for the eighth wicket.