BAN VS IND - 1st Test, India tour of Bangladesh, 2022

Bangladesh's historic win in Mount Maunganui continues to be their only Test victory this year. They fought hard in the second innings, but India dominated the proceedings barring a couple of sessions. Ebadot's unavailability in the second essay and Shakib bowling just 12 overs in the match didn't help their cause either. India, as Rahul mentioned, should be pleased with this win. It was a spirited performance from their bowlers on a pitch that had very little assistance. With this win, India climb to the third spot on the WTC point table. They'll move to second if South Africa lose the ongoing Gabba Test. Five more Tests remaining in this cycle for India, with four at home against the Aussies. The next Test is at Dhaka, a venue where India lost both the ODIs. If regular captain Rohit Sharma is fit, who will he replace? That's a conundrum for the Indian team management. For now, it's time to bring the curtains down on this encounter. Until the second Test (commencing on December 22), it's goodbye from Abhinand Raghavendran on behalf of Ramakrishnan MS, Hariprasad Sadanandan and Mukesh.

KL Rahul: We've been here for a while. The one-day series didn't go how we wanted it to, the results didn't go our way. It was important that we turned up and performed well in the Test series. It was a hard-fought Test match and we had to really work hard for this win. Really happy that we did that. It (pitch) did flatten out, it didn't worry us but it looked like the batters were batting very comfortably and getting runs easily. Getting runs was very hard for the first three days. It was a slow pitch, not much in the wicket for batters to get runs easily. The way their openers batted, made it harder for us and we knew that we had to work hard for our wickets. Even when the partnership was going, our intensity was really high. We've played Test cricket for a while and we know that no victory comes easy. We batted well in the first innings as well. From the position we were in to get to 400+ was a job well done by the batters. Puji (Pujara), Shreyas batted really well and Rishabh went with that counter-attacking innings, that's how he plays. Good that the batters did that and the lower order contributed, that gives you confidence when you win the toss and bat first. The way we bowled in the first innings really set the game up. Shubman and Puji really utilised the opportunity of batting, very happy for them. Very pleased with the way we bowled in both the innings. The pitch wasn't really assisting the bowlers all that much, but they found something in the wicket. The seamers got wickets, Umesh bowled a couple of brilliant spells and got us back in the game. We've built this attack over the years. They are showing what quality they have. We won the Test match, I am not going to worry about what we could have done better. We are going to relax for the next couple of days and then think about what we need to do next.

Kuldeep Yadav | PoTM: To be very honest I am happy with the performance, both with bat and ball. First innings the pitch was quicker than the second innings. There was some pace in the first innings, but the second innings was very challenging. It was slower. so I was trying to work on my rhythm and bowl quicker. Probably more revs on the ball makes it challenging for the batters and it is difficult to step down and drive as well (why wrist spinners have that extra edge). I just worked on my rhythm, tried to be more aggressive and it's helped me a lot. The action is the same, just trying to be aggressive in the rhythm (about working on his bowling).

Shakib Al Hasan: It was a really good wicket to bat on but we didn't bat well (in the first innings). Playing after 5-6 months, it wasn't ideal for us but there shouldn't be any excuse. We identified our mistakes and tried our best in the second innings. Lot of credit to India the way they bowled. They bowled in partnerships and created a lot of pressure. (On Zakir Hasan) He has been scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket, that's why the selectors picked him. Hopefully, he scores a lot more centuries for Bangladesh. We have to play good cricket for all five days if we want to win a Test match. We have to play four good innings to be able to get a result especially against India.

Bangladesh reduced their opponents to 48/3 in the opening session of the Test, but fifties from Pujara, Iyer and Ashwin bailed them out of trouble to post a total in excess of 400. The Indian pacers accounted for the first four Bangladesh wickets, but Kuldeep ran through their middle and lower order as the hosts were bundled out for 150. India decided to bat again and scored briskly with both Gill and Pujara notching up their respective tons. Chasing a mammoth total, Bangladesh's openers put on a fight with debutant Zakir Hasan registering his maiden Test ton. But the Indian bowlers, who were made to toil hard on a slow-turning track, fought back post lunch on the penultimate day. All the five bowlers among wickets in the fourth innings with Axar being the pick of the lot. Who'll be the Player of the Match? Pujara or Kuldeep? Stick around, presentations coming up in a bit...

10:20 Local Time, 04:20 GMT, 09:50 IST: India wrap up the match in 50 minutes on the final day. Siraj nipped out Mehidy when the latter chased a wide delivery. Shakib went after the Indian bowlers and hit a flurry of boundaries but he was eventually castled by Kuldeep Yadav for 84. Bangladesh's tail didn't last long and the visitors have taken a 1-0 lead in this two-match Test series.

Axar to Taijul Islam, out Bowled!! India win by 188 runs. Timber! Quick in-turner from a length, Taijul Islam hangs back and is late to bring his bat down, gets beaten on the inside edge and the ball crashes into the sticks. Four wickets in the innings for Axar! Taijul Islam b Axar 4(15)

Axar to Taijul Islam, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Axar to Taijul Islam, no run, defended in front of silly point

Kuldeep Yadav to Khaled Ahmed, no run, muted appeal! Spinning in, past the inside edge and the ball lobs towards leg slip. Don't think there was any inside edge

Khaled Ahmed, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Kuldeep Yadav to Ebadot Hossain, out Caught by Shreyas Iyer!! Nine down! Sharp catch at forward short leg. Leg-break, Ebadot Hossain looks to work it away into the on-side off the back foot. Off the face of the bat but he couldn't get it past the short leg fielder. Good reflexes from Shreyas Iyer to gobble it with both hands. Ebadot Hossain c Shreyas Iyer b Kuldeep Yadav 0(5)

Kuldeep Yadav to Ebadot Hossain, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Kuldeep Yadav to Ebadot Hossain, no run, turns in from a length and lobs up off the batter's pad. Too much spin and hence no appeal for lbw

Kuldeep Yadav to Ebadot Hossain, no run, more revs on this leggie, pushed defensively to short cover

Kuldeep Yadav to Ebadot Hossain, no run, slow non-turner, Ebadot Hossain stays back to keep it out on the off-side

Kuldeep Yadav to Ebadot Hossain, no run, legbreak, spinning in towards off, Ebadot Hossain blocks off the front foot

Axar to Taijul Islam, no run, spinning down the leg-side, past Taijul Islam's glance

Axar to Taijul Islam, 2 runs, shorter and wider, cut behind backward point for a brace

Axar to Taijul Islam, no run, Axar pulls his length back by a fraction, blocked watchfully with an opened bat-face