IND Vs BAN, 1st Test: India's Top Order Crumbles As Hasan Mahmud Shines With A Brilliant Spell

The first Test against Bangladesh did not see an easy start for the Indian cricket team that saw top-order collapse on the opening day in Chennai. Batting first, openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal looked all set against the Bangladeshi pace attack led by the two strike bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud. But Bangladesh's decision to bowl first suddenly went well as the seamers ruled the bowling lineup at the pitch early on.

India vs Bangladesh - First test, Day 1 lunch: India 88-3
- It was a good session for both the sides. Hasan Mahmud took 3 wickets, Yashasvi Jaiswal 37* and Rishabh Pant 33* batting good and a good recovery by both the youngsters after India lost 3 quick wickets.#INDvsBAN pic.twitter.com/NzWeIgat8N

— Akaran.A (@Akaran_1) September 19, 2024

The first to go was Rohit Sharma, who scored only 6 runs, steering Hasan Mahmud's outswing to the second slip, where captain Najmul Hossain Shanto took a clean catch. Shubman Gill was out, this time off only eight balls, again the culprit being Hasan Mahmud, and this time, Gill edged a wide delivery to wicketkeeper Litton Das.

Hasan Mahmud is on 🔥 against India!#WTC25 | 📝 #INDvBAN: https://t.co/7kDIQrtdkr pic.twitter.com/3YDYgjXvr0

— ICC (@ICC) September 19, 2024

Then comes Virat Kohli. There was appreciation in the crowd when Kohli reached the crease, but Kohli could not give a better show than Mahmud. He also became Mahmud's third victim, caught behind after poking at a delivery outside the off stump, India struggling at 34 for three within the first 10 overs.

Harsha Bogle also appreciated Hasan Mahmud's bowling as he dismissed the trio- Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli.

Very impressive from Hasan Mahmud. Perfect bowler for these conditions. Just the right pace and the ability to move it both ways. Interesting to see how long this spice lasts.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 19, 2024

The one bright spot of the day has been Yashasvi Jaiswal, who seemed slightly aggressive and somehow got a few good shots despite a dismal first session overall. The first session has only elucidated the lingering problems for the hosts as Indians failed to dominate Indian batsmen in home tests recently. Statistics tell a tale: from a batting average of 44.05 runs per wicket from 2013 to 2020, they have dropped to just 33.40 since 2021.