Virat Kohli scores pink-ball ton as India close on win over Bangladesh
Mushfiqur digs in to stop India winning day-night Test in two days
Saturday 23 November 2019 15:19, UK
Virat Kohli scored a century against the pink ball before India torpedoed Bangladesh's top order with it as they at one stage hunted a two-day win in the day-night Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Kohli (136) struck his 27th Test ton - the same number as Graeme Smith and Allan Border - to lift India up to 347-9 declared and a lead of 241.
India, who rolled Bangladesh for 106 on day one, reduced the visitors to 13-4 in their second knock, only for Mushfiqur Rahim (59no) to post fifty stands with Mahmudullah (39) and Mehidy Hasan (15) as they reached 152-6.
Mahmudullah retired hurt; Mehidy - only playing as a concussion substitute for Liton Das - became Ishant Sharma's ninth victim of the match and fourth of the innings; and Taijul Islam (10) fell to the last ball of the day, but Musfiqur remains, having completed a 21st Test half-century.
Kohli's men still lead by 89, though, and will expect to wrap up victory and a record-extending 12th consecutive Test series win at home on day three.
Kohli - whose side won the opening Test in Indore by an innings and 130 runs inside three days - had voiced concerns about facing the pink ball.
But he flourished against it, hitting 18 fours in his 194-ball innings, including four boundaries in a row off seamer Abu Jayed.
The captain extended his fourth-wicket partnership with Rahane (51) to 99 before the latter was out to spinner Taijul.
Kohli then bossed a stand of 53 with Ravindra Jadeja before he was caught off Ebadat Hossain (3-91) and then saluted by the bowler as he walked off.
Kohli called his side in before tea and Bangladesh were 6-2 as they headed into the break, with Ishant (4-39) dismissing Shadman Islam for a duck and then inflicting a pair on Tigers captain Mominul Haque.
Ishant also clocked Mohammad Mithun (6) on the helmet but the batsman was fit to continue, amid initial fears that he would become the third Bangladesh player in the match to be withdrawn on concussion grounds.
Mithun fell early in the final session, however, after clothing Mohammed Shami to deep midwicket while Bangladesh were four down inside seven overs once Imrul Kayes (5) snicked Ishant to slip.
