Can India finish off the Tigers or will there be a miraculous escape?
Shakib Al Hasan (L) and Mahmudullah (R) (Photo: AFP)
Bangladesh lost two wickets in the first session of the final day in the Hyderabad Test, bringing them to a total of 202/5 at lunch, with India needing five wickets to win the one-of Test with plenty of time remaining in the tie.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah were at the crease in the morning session and while they initially frustrated the Indian bowlers, Shakib fell to the guile of Ravindra Jadeja for just 22 runs to give India a vital breakthrough.
Bangladeshi captain Mushfiqur Rahim walked in next and the early signs were promising for the visitors before inexplicably he went for a high-risk shot off Ravichandran Ashwin, attacking the off-spinner to perish on 23. The short batsman had hit a well-composed century in the first innings but his shot selection was extremely poor at a time when Bangladesh needed to conserve their wickets rather than think about the target of 459, their skipper lost simply lost his head.
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While Mahmudullah (58*) and Sabbir Rahman (18*) remain on the crease, there is a slight chance of hope that the visitors can somehow manage to bat out the remainder of the final day.
With just five wickets remaining, however, the odds are firmly in India’s favour as they look to tighten the screws on the Tigers who need to score 257 runs if they are to script a famous victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
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