Kuldeep’s career best performance, India won the first Test by 188 runs
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav put in a career-best performance as India bundled out Bangladesh early in the second innings to register a massive 188-run win on the fifth day of the first Test here on Sunday. India needed only four wickets to win on the fifth and final day and took the remaining wickets in 11.2 overs. Bangladesh team started playing ahead of 272 runs for six wickets in the morning and their entire team was dismissed for 324 runs. Kuldeep took two of the remaining four wickets while Mohammad Siraj and Akshar Patel took one wicket each.
Kuldeep took five wickets in the first innings while he took three wickets in the second innings. In this way, he recorded eight wickets for 113 runs in the match, which is his best performance in a single Test match. “I like bowling with the Kookaburra ball because it gives me better grip and control than the SG ball,” Kuldeep said after India’s win. It is very challenging but in between I have played a lot of limited overs matches. I played in the IPL and bowled with the red ball for India A. That way I was in rhythm.
Kuldeep was well supported by left-arm spinner Patel, who took four for 77 in the second innings. With this victory, India has reached the third position in the points table of the World Test Championship. He overtook Sri Lanka, who have now slipped to the fourth position. India now has 87 points and its percentage (PCT) is 55.77 while Sri Lanka has 64 points and its PCT is 53.33. Australia tops the table with 75 PCT. After that comes the number of South Africa whose PCT is 60. Bangladesh extended their innings from their yesterday’s score of 272 for six. Captain Shakib Al Hasan took an aggressive approach from the start as he knew that batting all day would be tough.
He faced 108 balls and scored 84 runs which included six fours and as many sixes. KL Rahul, who won his first Test match as captain, opened with a pace and spin attack in the form of Siraj (1/67) and Patel. Mehidy Hasan Miraj (13) hit Siraj for a boundary in the cover region in the first over of the day, while Shakib, on the other hand, showed his intent by hitting his Patel for a four. However, in the next over of Siraj, Mehdi Hasan caught Umesh Yadav by playing a loose shot.
Shakib hit Patel for a straight six to complete his 30th half-century in Test cricket. Shakib still played some good shots after this but Rahul handed the ball to Kuldeep who took wickets in successive overs while Patel got another wicket. Kuldeep first clean bowled Shakib who missed an attempt to sweep at extra cover. Kuldeep then got Ibadat Hussain caught by Shreyas Iyer.
Patel completed the formalities of victory by dismissing Taijul Islam. India had bowled Bangladesh out for 150 after scoring 404 in their first innings. India declared their second innings at 258 for two with the help of centuries from Shubman Gill (110) and Cheteshwar Pujara (102 not out). The second and final Test match between the two teams will be played in Mirpur from 22 December.
