Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam was the star for the home side on day one of the first Test against India being played in Chattogram. India had opted to bat first after stand-in captain KL Rahul won the toss.
Islam was the pick of the bowlers with 3/84 in 30 overs. India finished the day on 278/6 with Cheteshwar Pujara making 90 and Shreyas Iyer remaining 82*. Rishabh Pant with 46 was another main scorer for the team.
However, the biggest scalp of the Indian innings was that of Virat Kohli, who was dismissed LBW by Taijul for just one run, but Taijul said that he doesn’t feel that picking up the prized scalp of Virat Kohli was the highlight of his career.
"I have picked up the wicket of Virat earlier in my career so doesn't need to be the highlight of my career,” Islam said at the end of the day while mentioning the wicket of Pujara gave him more joy.
It was the second time Islam had picked up the wicket of Kohli in Tests after the 2017 Test in Hyderabad. Back then, Kohli had completed a double hundred before he fell to the left-arm spinner.
"I think the line and length was good and perhaps he missed on quite a few occasions but I felt that the ball turned quite sharply. He (Pujara) felt it will be straight but as it turned it hit the stump," Islam added.
Islam rued missed chances and said Bangladesh should have bowled out India on Day 1 itself, adding that the hosts needed to have taken the chances that came their way. Pujara was dropped on 12 in Ebadot Hossain by keeper Nurul Hasan, while Iyer got two lifelines before stumps.
"I totally agree and you can say that. If they had lost five to six wickets with 10 to 15 overs in our hand then it was possible to bowl them out. Considering everything I don't think we are in a very bad position and in fact in a good position as this is only the first day of the Test match. If we had not made the mistakes we would have been in a better position,” Taijul said.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
