HYDERABAD, India: Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehedi Hasan made gritty half-centuries to keep Bangladesh afloat against a dominant India on the third day of their one-off Test on Saturday.
Rahim (81) put on an unbeaten 87-run stand with teenager Hasan (51) to deny the hosts a wicket in the final session at Hyderabad’s Uppal Stadium.
The visitors were 322 for six at stumps, needing another 166 runs to avoid the follow-on against the world’s number one Test side.
Rahim, who also shared 107 runs with Shakib Al Hasan (82), braved a persistent Indian bowling attack to register his 16th Test half-century.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who took 35 balls to move from 46 to 50, tackled the Indian spinners with patience on a pitch that still looked good for batting.
Rahim took a nasty blow on his finger from pacer Ishant Sharma in the final over of the day, only to hit the bowler for a boundary off the very next delivery.
The captain found a perfect partner in Hasan to stage a fightback after the visitors were left reeling at 235 for six in the afternoon session.
Hasan, who claimed two wickets in Indian innings with his off-spin, showed great batting temperament to register his maiden Test fifty in just his fifth outing.
The 19-year-old all-rounder, who made his Test debut against England in Chittagong last year, has struck 10 boundaries during his 103-ball knock so far.
Rahim’s crucial fifth-wicket stand with Shakib helped Bangladesh recover against a formidable bowling attack.
The left-handed Shakib played some attacking cricket during his brisk knock laced with 14 boundaries. But he soon ran out of steam, losing his wicket to India’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Starting the day on 41 for one, the visitors made their way to 125-4 at lunch with Indian pacers compounding Bangladesh’s woes in their first-ever Test on Indian soil.
Bangladesh lost overnight batsman Tamim Iqbal who was run out for 25 while going for a risky double with partner Mominul Haque (12).
The hosts had put themselves in a commanding position after skipper Virat Kohli smashed 204, steering the team to a record total of 687-6 declared against Bangladesh.
India have won six and drawn two matches against the minnows, who gained Test status only in 2000.
