Press Trust of India
Fatullah, June 10: Shikhar Dhawan (150, 158b, 21×4) hammered a listless Bangladesh bowling attack into submission with a scintillating century as India seized the initiative on a rain-hit opening day, reaching 239 for no loss at stumps in the one-off cricket Test, here Wednesday.
Making full use of the opportunity that he got due to Sydney Test centurion KL Rahul’s illness, Dhawan dominated the proceedings from the start during his cracking unbeaten innings.
He was ably supported by Murali Vijay (89 n o, 178b, 8×4, 1×6), who played a totally contrasting and calmer knock as the duo were hardly troubled during the 56 overs bowled in the day.
The duo showed positive intent sending the home team bowlers on a leather hunt, something that Kohli had promised after taking over the mantle from Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
With a slow and flat track on offer, it was an onerous task for Bangladesh’s spin quartet of left-arm spinners. Shakib Al Hasan (0/34 in nine overs), Taijul Islam (0/55 in 12 overs) along with leg-spinner Jubair Hossain (0/41 in seven overs) and off-break bowler Shuvagata Hom (0/47 in 13 overs) failed to stop the Indian openers who faced little difficulty in negotiating the pedestrian attack.
Dhawan reached his third Test fifty when he played a deft late cut off Shuvagata to complete the mini landmark off 47 balls as skipper Virat Kohli and Team Director Ravi Shastri were seen applauding his effort.
The only chink in Dhawan’s century was just before the rain interruption in the 24th over, when he got a reprieve on 73 when Shuvagata dropped a relatively easy catch at short mid- wicket off Taijul’s bowling.
After nearly four hours of rain delay, when play finally resumed, Dhawan started from where he had left off before the break. He found the gaps on the off-side with ease to get into the 80’s as Vijay completed his 50 with a boundary off Mohammad Shahid.
Shakib didn’t look penetrative during his first spell as there were a number of loose balls including a loopy full toss that Vijay dispatched to the boundary.
Leaving out their fastest bowler Rubel Hossain boomeranged as the lone seamer Shahid (0/52) neither had any variation or pace to trouble the duo. The slowish nature of the track with an odd ball offering occasional turn was not supposed to pose any challenge for the Dhawan-Vijay combination and it didn’t happen that way as India are now on course for a mammoth total which would further increase the miseries of the hosts.
