Akash Deep delivered a game-changing over for India, picking up two back-to-back wickets. The first to go was Zakir Hasan, bowled by a beauty that angled in and knocked over his middle stump. Zakir, who had been defending cautiously, was late on the shot, leaving just enough gap for the ball to sneak through. Akash followed it up with an absolute stunner, dismissing Mominul on the very next delivery. A sharp nip-back delivery hit the pad and crashed into the off-stump, sending Mominul back for a golden duck.
The decision to rest Siraj early and bring in Akash paid off, as his sharp pace unsettled the Bangladesh top order. With Bangladesh reeling at 26/3 at lunch, they trail by 350 runs. Earlier, India’s innings wrapped up at 376, with Jadeja falling short of a century. Despite a strong start by Bangladesh’s bowlers, their batters have been unable to cope with India’s aggressive bowling attack. Bangladesh will now rely heavily on Mushfiqur and Shanto to mount a fightback after the break.
