Trailing India by 646 runs, Tamim Iqbal (24*) and Mominul Haque (0*) were cruising for Bangladesh at 41/1 at stumps on the second day of the one-off Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Friday.
Soumya Sarkar lost his wicket cheaply for 15 runs as pacer Umesh Yadav's (1/2) earned the breakthrough for India.
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Earlier, captain Virat Kohli led by example, scoring impressive 204 runs off 246 balls to propel India to a mammoth score of 687/6 in their first innings. With this, Kohli became the first Indian to smash a double century in four consecutive Test series.
India became the first team to score a 600-plus total in three consecutive Test innings. Kohli kept his aura intact as he became highest run-scoring Indian batsman in a particular home season. In the season 2016-17, he has scored 1168 runs in 15 Tests do far, at a notable average of 89.84.
Besides Kohli, opener Murali Vijay and Wriddhiman Saha cashed in with a century knock each. Vijay's 108-run knock laid a foundation for India against the minnows. He, along with Cheteshwar Pujara (83), put 178 runs for the second-wicket partnership.
At middle-order, Ajinkya Rahane stood responsibly for a while, scoring causative 82 runs at a strike rate of 61.65. With the Indian captain, Rahane put mammoth 222-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Saha struck unbeaten 106 runs, delighting the Deccan spectators with seven four and two sixes. All-rounders Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja contributed with 34 and 60 (not out) respectively as India declared with a comfortable total.
Although Indian batsmen appeared on top throughout the day, orthodox spinner Taijul Islam emerged as the lone survivor in the end. Islam claimed three big wickets in shape of Vijay, Kohli and Rahane.
Off-spinner Mehedi Hasan supported Islam in bowling attack, taking two crucial wickets, while pacer Taskin Ahmed dismissed Indian opener KL Rahul to join the celebration.
