New Delhi, January 20: Gautam Gambhir accumulated – at a strike-rate of 90-plus – on his way to a fifth century in five Tests, and hurried India towards a substantial lead, bringing an early declaration into the picture.
Amit Mishra, the nightwatchman, joined the fun, scoring his first Test fifty as Bangladesh came resigned to having to save the Test, and did not look like striving for a wicket.
The sunniest day of the Test spelled gloom for the hosts; it meant there was a 135-minute first session, which went for 137 runs, and would eventually leave Bangladesh a longer duration to survive for a draw.
Gambhir started the day, reaching a fifty-plus score for the tenth consecutive Test, one short of the record held by Viv Richards. From coming to one within Richards’ record to moving to one within Don Bradman’s six hundreds in six Tests, it was an inevitable stroll for Gambhir. Bangladesh gave Gambhir one-day fields, and he milked ones and twos as if in the middle overs of an ODI.
Mishra, on the other hand, gave up his cavalier approach from the previous evening, and started to play like a proper batsman. It helped that he could afford to stay in the crease and keep working the ball, with the spinners hardly drawing him forward.
Shahadat Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan began proceedings for the day, and gave away just 34 in the first 10.4 overs. But in one Rubel Hossain over, Gambhir broke free, taking two boundaries and moving close to the 80s. A dropped catch later, Bangladesh got rid of Mishra, but Gambhir was not going to miss the ton.
In typical fashion, as with his last four tons, Gambhir brought up the century stepping out and hitting over the infield. He had for company the holder of the Indian record for most centuries in consecutive Tests, Rahul Dravid. Slightly uncharacteristically, Dravid afforded himself a big laugh during a Test innings, and high-fived Gambhir on the achievement.
In an effort to up the rate even more, Gambhir fell for a 129-ball 116, his fifth second-innings century. By then, though, India’s lead had reached 234. Although Dravid ran himself out by plonking his bat in as opposed to sliding it, India were set for a surge towards a declarable lead.
——-Agencies