‘Horrible, appalling, unacceptable’: Bangladesh criticised in first Test against India, narrowly avoids severe ICC punishment

Bangladesh have already had their World Test Championship points deducted for a slow overrate against Pakistan, and are in danger of losing more points after their performance on the first day of the first Test against India in Chennai. Bangladesh fell 10 overs short of the target of 90 on the first day, despite using half an hour of injury time.

Bangladesh bowled only 11 overs in the first hour of play, dominated by their three spinners. They bowled 23 overs in the first session. The over-rate improved marginally in the second session, but was nowhere near the desired rate. Even in the last session, when Bangladesh used three spinners, they managed to bowl only 32 overs in two and a half hours.

Commentators called their paltry overvaluation embarrassing and unacceptable.

“Bangladesh’s over-the-top rate is unacceptable. We are 45 minutes into Tea’s spell and we haven’t even reached 60 overs. The best Bangladesh can manage at this rate is around 70-72 overs (by the end of the day) and that has to be unacceptable. It will be interesting to see when the umpires start playing a more active role to move things forward,” Harsha Bhogle said in a commentary.

“Subcontinental teams feel much more comfortable when spinners bowl more overs. When three seamers play, their over rate is very different from other teams,” said Dinesh Karthik.

“It doesn’t help when you have fast bowlers like Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana. They easily need six minutes to bowl an over,” Tamim Iqbal said.

“They spend six minutes on it because they know they can,” Bhogle replied.

Bhogle lifted Bangladesh again towards the end of the day’s play. “I’ll tell you what’s going to happen here. Because of this pathetic and appalling overplay, Bangladesh won’t get a second new ball, even after half an hour is added,” he said.

Ashwin and Jadeja save India from trouble

Ravichandran Ashwin scored his sixth Test hundred as he and Ravindra Jadeja bailed India out of trouble. Ashwin scored 102 not out in 112 balls – his second Test century on his home turf in Chennai – as the home team reached 339-6 in 80 overs.

He teamed up with Jadeja to make an unbeaten 195 in the seventh over – India’s highest against Bangladesh – to rescue their team from a precarious total of 144-6.

Jadeja ended the day unbeaten by scoring 86 off 117 balls.

For the Bangladesh team, player Hasan Mahmud scored four goals.