Bangladesh & India draw rainy Test

Sport360 staff 15:11 14/06/2015
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  • Rain galore in one-off Test.

    India’s hopes of pushing for an unlikely victory on the final day of their one-off Test against Bangladesh were ultimately thwarted, once more, by the rain in Fatullah.

    The inclement weather has been a regular obstacle over the course of the five days and it was again on Sunday as the match drifted towards a draw, despite Bangladesh being unable to avoid the follow-on.

    After the morning session was washed out, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s five for 87 helped rein in the Tigers, who made 256 all out, just seven runs shy of avoiding the follow-on.

    With a possible 30 overs still to bowl, including the optional 15 in the last hour, the tourists had a sniff of victory but that was snuffed out by Bangladesh openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, who safely guided their side to 23 without loss before the players shook hands.

    It was a result that was entirely expected, with India needing to take 17 wickets in a day to win the match, and their hopes were worsened when morning rain meant play did not get under way until 12.45pm local time.

    The hosts resumed on 111 for three knowing they only needed to avoid a complete collapse in both innings, although they lost a crucial wicket in the third over of the day when Shakib Al Hasan shaped to cut but edged Ashwin behind.

    Kayes and Soumya Sarkar put on 51 in almost 15 overs before both departed in successive overs.

    Kayes reached 72 before being stumped, coming down the pitch to Harbhajan Singh, while Sarkar chopped on from Varun Aaron for 37 to leave Bangladesh on 176 for six. 

    Test debutant Litton Das counter-attacked with aplomb in his maiden innings, striking eight fours and a six in his 45-ball 44 as he and Shuvagata Hom took Bangladesh past 200.

    But the pair perished in identical fashion, first Hom inside-edged Ashwin to leg slip with the last delivery before the tea interval before Das did likewise to give the India spinner his ninth five-wicket haul.

    Mohammad Shahid skied a catch to deep mid-on to give Harbhajan his third wicket of the innings and Bangladesh were all out when Jubair Hossain was run out coming back for a third run.

    India enforced the follow-on as they set about achieving a win that had only seemed a very remote possibility earlier. 

    But captain Virat Kohli dropped a decent low chance at slip after Kayes had edged off Ashwin in the sixth over. It was the closest the tourists would come to taking a wicket as Kohli shook hands with the batsmen after 15 overs to signal the end of the match.

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