Sports desk: Bangladesh struggled in the bouncy wicket and let India A take the upperhand on the first day of the two-day practice match against India A at Gymkhan Ground, Hyderabad yesterday.
The visitors declared the innings on 224 for eight after which India A ended the day on 91 for one.
The only outcome of the Bangladesh’s innings was the half-century of Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim. While Soumya continued his form, which he gained in New Zealand by scoring 52, Mushfiqur Rahim, just returned to the injury, made 58 runs.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s form gave the team a great relief specially as the team management was in doubt whether he could gain his full match fitness ahead of the Test.
Bangladesh rested team’s key player Shakib Al Hasan for the match.
Tamim Iqbal plundered Hardik Pandya in style to help the side get off to a boundary-filled start but his fellow opener Imrul Kayes struggled in the pitch that carried huge bounce occasionally.
While Pandya was erratic, new ball bowler Chama Milind and Aniket Choudhary were disciplined in their approach. Milind got the better of Kayes for 4 while Choudhary dealt a double blow, taking out Tamim Iqbal for 13 and Mominul Haque for 5.
Soumya though was troubled by the short pitched delivery, somehow managed to stay calm and cashed in once spinners came to the operation.
However he was undone by spin after bringing up his fifty. Left arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem got him to give the side breakthrough after which Kuldeep Yadav removed Mahmudullah for 13 to leave Bangladesh a perilous 113 for five.
With the side in danger to be all out below 150 runs, Mushfiqur Rahim resisted and got the assistance for Sabbir Rahman.
They shared 71-run for the sixth wicket before paceman Vijay Shankar dismissed Sabbir for 33. Choudhary however returned in the action against got Mushfiqur Rahim who hit eighth fours and one six in his 106 balls.
Choudhary later sliced Bangladesh’s vulnerable tail before the visitors declared the innings. He was the most successful bowler for the team with four for 29.
Milind, Shankar, Nadeem and Yadav picked up one wicket apiece.
Unlike Bangladesh, the local side started promisingly even though Bangladesh removed Abhinav Mukund, who returned to India Test team after five years, for just 16.
Kirit Panchal and Sreyash Iyer saw off the day without any trouble, being unbeaten on 40 and 29 runs respectively.
Shubhashis Roy was the only bowler so far to take the wicket, ending the day one for 11.
