Bangladesh struggling to save Test against India

Visitors need to survive final day with just seven wickets in hand

Afp February 12, 2017

kohli l and ashwin successfully appeal for the wicket of bangladesh 039 s tamim iqbal on the fourth day ashwin earlier became the fastest ever bowler to 250 wickets photo afp

Kohli (L) and Ashwin successfully appeal for the wicket of Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal on the fourth day. Ashwin, earlier became the fastest-ever bowler to 250 wickets. PHOTO :AFP

HYDERABAD: India's bowlers, led by spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, tightened the noose on Bangladesh as the visitors struggled for survival on Sunday, chasing a daunting 459 on the fourth day of the one-off Test in Hyderabad.

The visitors were precariously placed on 103-3 at stumps, needing to survive three more session for a draw. Mahmudullah on nine and Shakib alHasan on 21 were at the crease.

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Ashwin, who became the fastest bowler to claim 250 Test wickets during Bangladesh's first innings, struck twice in the visitors' chase to take his wickets tally to 252 in his 45th match.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja joined forces with Ashwin to dismiss a fighting Soumya Sarkar for 42 and end his 60-run stand second-wicket stand with Mominul Haque (27).

Haque himself went four runs later. The left-right batting combination of Mahmudullah and Shakib then put on 28 runs to play out the rest of the session.

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India need just seven wickets to seal the game while the visitors must score another 356 to win.

Cheteshwar Pujara earlier hit a brisk half-century as the hosts declared their second innings on 159-4 at tea.

India, who started their innings with a lead of 299 after bowling out Bangladesh for 388, lost two early wickets but Pujara (54) and skipper Virat Kohli (38) put on 67.

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Shakib's left-arm spin checked India's surge with two wickets, including that of Kohli, who gave a catch to mid-wicket in his search for boundaries.

But Pujara continued to cart the bowlers to all parts of the ground, smashing six fours and a six during his 58-ball stay.

Earlier Ashwin had raced to the 250th scalp of his career after dismissing Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim for 127 — the final wicket of the innings.

Ashwin, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, surpassed Australia's legendary paceman Dennis Lillee, who took 48 matches to reach the same mark.

Rahim had led Bangladesh's resistance for nearly three sessions before falling foul of 30-year-old Ashwin, who has so far claimed 59 wickets in the current season.

Ninth-ranked Bangladesh are playing their first Test on Indian soil.