Bangladesh spinners strike, India 462-6 at stumps

DHAKA, (Reuters) – Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan claimed four wickets as India reached 462 for six at stumps on day three of the one-off test between the neighbours yesterday.

After India resumed on 239 for no loss, Shakib (4-105) and leg-spinner Jubair Hossain (2-113) took all six wickets between them even as rain, which had washed out 34 overs on day one and the entire second day’s play, continued to plague the contest.

Shakib ended India’s 283-run opening stand by dismissing Shikhar Dhawan (173) and also claimed the wickets of Murali Vijay (150), Rohit Sharma (six) and Ajinkya Rahane (98).

Ravichandran Ashwin (two) and Harbhajan Singh (seven) were at the crease when rained forced them off the ground and eventually forced tea.

Vijay steered left-arm spinner Taijul Islam for a four to bring up his sixth test hundred in the morning session but his opening partner Dhawan could not better his personal test best of 187.

Dhawan gave Shakib a soft return catch to depart after a 195-ball knock that included 23 boundaries.

Shakib struck again in his next over, uprooting the off-stump of Rohit, the only batsman with two 200-plus scores in one-dayers who continues to struggle in tests.

India skipper Virat Kohli (14) was slightly unlucky as his fluffed drive resulted in an inside edge which hit his pad before rolling onto the stumps to knock off the bail.

Vijay and Rahane, however, had little problem negotiating the hosts’ limited bowling resources and they added 114 runs for the fourth wicket.

Rahane fell two runs short of what would have been his fourth test hundred, playing aggressively and hitting Shakib for back-to-back boundaries before losing his off-stump to the next ball while attempting a pull shot.