Indian pacers give India early advantage

Bangladesh missed a trick after opting to bat on a wicket laden with moisture on the morning of the opening day of the first Test in Indore. It reflected in their scorecard as the Indian pacers extracted movement aplenty and bowled testing lines reducing them to 63 for 3 by lunch on Thursday (November 14).

India lost the toss, but got what they wanted, bowling on a pitch with a tinge of green that the pacers made the most of. The first wicket took a while coming after umpteen plays and misses from the openers to begin with. Umesh, who began his spell with a beauty that soared just over the stumps due to bounce, beat the outside edge for the nth time, before eventually being rewarded. He caught the outside edge off Imrul Kayes's bat that flew to Ajinkya Rahane at gully in the sixth over.

Not wanting to be left behind, Ishant's fuller length undid Shadman Islam in the next over. The lack of foot movement to a full delivery that the batsman went for the drive against, only could catch the edge that the 'keeper Wriddhiman Saha was happy to accept as Bangladesh slipped to 12 for 2. Mohammad Mithun and Mominul Haque - captaining in his first Test - negotiated the bowlers rather well thereafter. Mithun survived a close review for leg-before when the ball was found pitching outside off, but the runs eluded Bangladesh nevertheless. They were patient, however, despite the misses, the prods and the testing lengths and managed to keep their wickets intact. Ishant bowled great lengths and tight lines through the session, but couldn't make further inroads.

But India's best pacer, Mohammed Shami, struck on the brink of lunch. He picked his first trapping Mithun leg before off a fuller delivery that shaped back in. There was little hesitation from the umpire to give him out, ending the brief resistance between the pair. Mominul, though, showed a lot of discipline and held his end well, even getting some streaky boundaries off outside edges that spurred Bangladesh past the 50-run mark after a slothful morning.

Virat Kohli then put a regulation catch down in the slips, handing Mushfiqur Rahim a life. Mushfiqur pushed away from his body, chasing a wide one outside off, which should've been left. The edge went to Kohli at a good height, but he got across a tad late and spilled it. There were a couple of close chances that weren't taken, but India will go into the break a happy side after a good session, despite a barrage of runs streaming in in the last half hour.