Skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz are fighting a losing battle for Bangladesh following Zakir Hasan’s century on debut, as the Tigers were reduced to 272-6 chasing 513 at the end of the penultimate day of the first Test against India at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.
Shakib and Miraz are unbeaten on 40 and nine respectively with the hosts needing 241 runs to win or bat out the entire fifth day to secure a draw, both highly unlikely propositions.
India, on the other hand, need just four wickets to go 1-0 up in the two-Test series.
Zakir’s innings and his opening partnership of 124 with Najmul Hossain Shanto were the highest points for Bangladesh in a day the match swung further in favour of the visitors.
Earlier, Bangladesh resumed the day’s play on 42-0, with Shanto and Zakir batting on 25 and 17 respectively.
The Bangladesh openers frustrated the Indian attack in the first session, completing their respective half-centuries and taking the Tigers into the lunch break on 119-0.
In the second session, India bounced back, removing Najmul Hossain Shanto, Yasir Ali and Liton Das for 67, five and 19 runs respectively.
Bangladesh went into tea interval on 176-3, with Zakir 18 runs away from his maiden Test century and Mushfiqur Rahim batting on two.
Zakir completed a well-deserved century after the break, with a boundary off Axar Patel.
However, he couldn’t take his score beyond 100, as he got caught at slip by Virat Kohli off Ravichandran Ashwin the very next over.
After his dismissal, Axar, who had dismissed Yasir earlier in the day, dismissed Mushfiq (23) and Nurul Hasan (three) in the same over to reduce the hosts to 238-6.
Shakib and Miraz then formed an unbeaten 34-run stand to take the match into the fifth and final day.