Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud took three early wickets including star batsman Virat Kohli in Chennai to jolt India’s top-order in the opening Test on Thursday.
The tourists, who come in fresh from their 2-0 sweep in Pakistan, elected to field first on a cloudy morning at the start of the two-match series.
India took lunch at 88-3. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, on 37, and returning wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, on 33, were batting at the break.
India’s openers started cautiously, with skipper Rohit Sharma getting his first run on the 11th delivery, after surviving a few close calls.
Rohit smashed Hasan for the first boundary of the match but the bowler had his revenge in the next over when he got the skipper caught at second slip to break through.
Rohit made six.
Shubman Gill survived just eight deliveries before being caught behind for a duck when he attempted a flick down the leg side.
Kohli got off the mark with a single amid loud cheers from the crowd.
But the noise soon stopped when the former captain edged a length delivery outside the off-stump from Hasan to wicketkeeper Litton Das.
It was a disappointing first outing for Kohli, who scored six on his return to the Test side, after missing his team’s 4-1 home win over England in March.
With three wickets inside the first hour, India slipped to 34-3.
Pant, playing his first Test after a near-fatal car crash in 2022, then stood firm with fellow left-hander Jaiswal and put together 54 runs.
India are looking to extend their lead at the top of the World Test Championship rankings as they begin a fresh Test season of 10 matches.
But Bangladesh are hoping they will make a change, having never beaten the powerhouse in 13 previous attempts.
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