Pant, Gill hit tons to set improbable 515-run target for Bangladesh

Rishabh Pant completed an emotional re-initiation into Test cricket while Shubman Gill added another chapter to his growing stature in red-ball format as their centuries laced India’s total domination of Bangladesh on the third of the first match here on Saturday. At tea, Bangladesh were 56 for no loss while chasing an improbable 515 after India, overnight 81 for 3, declared their innings closed at 287 for four, swelling the lead to 514.

Gill (119 not out, 176b, 10×4, 4×6) and Pant (109, 128b, 148m, 13×4, 4×6) led the hosts’ run glut with an alliance of 167 off 217 balls for the fourth wicket. Shadman Islam (21) and Zakir Hasan (32) were at the crease for Bangladesh when tea was taken. However, numbers have no relevance on the day as hundreds by Pant and Gill were more a testimony of their will to rise above towering personal obstacles.

Pant’s turmoil has been widely-documented after that horrifying car crash in December 2022, and the way he reacted after reaching his sixth Test hundred with a two off Shakib Al-Hasan underscored the value he attached to the knock.

Pant stood near the middle of the crease with closed eyes, upward tilted head and a raised bat – offering a silent prayer, perhaps, to the Lord above for returning cricket to him, life even, may be. Gill watched the whole scene from a fair distance, as he did not want to invade into an intensely private moment of his partner. Soon, the two young men melted into a warm embrace as Chepauk erupted. Perhaps, the moment stood also as a tribute to Pant equalling Chennai’s very own ‘Thala’ MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman.

Gill’s struggles have been not as pronounced as Pant’s as they were more mental than physical in nature, stemming from the lack of confidence in himself in the traditional format. However, since making that hundred against England at Visakhapatnam earlier this year, Gill seemed to have turned a corner and he further validated that journey upwards with his fifth Test hundred, fetched through a single off Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

But while Gill, beginning from overnight 33, and Pant were in the office, all these feelings were hidden as it was time to enjoy the sight of them taking down Bangladesh bowlers in their vastly differing methods.The left-hander started rather sedately, looking to get his eye in before opening up. The breakaway moment came when he pulled off-spinner Miraz for a four around the first drinks break of the day. nSince that point, Pant’s dismantling of Miraz became a feature of the innings as he brought up his fifty off 88 balls.

Once the fifty was achieved, the 26-year-old unfurled some of those typical Pant shots. Pant, started from overnight 12, moved around the crease like a trapeze artist, and his scooped six over fine leg off Mahmud enthralled a sizeable weekend crowd here. mHe was dropped on 72 by Najmul Hossain Shanto off Shakib but that was not even a deterrent and duly completed his ton before offering a return catch to the hard-working Mehidy. Minimalism is quintessential to Gill’s batting as he plays shots with little flourish.

The short-arm pull from in front of the face or that zero follow-through punch through the covers, which he often executed off Nahid Rana and Mahmud Hasan, might not be out of the batting manual but productive nonetheless. Gill milked a further 53 runs off 51 balls with KL Rahul for the fifth wicket to take India’s lead past 500. Perhaps, inspired by the effort of Gill and Pant, Bangladesh found a little spunk of their own and ended the session without losing a wicket, a rarity for them in this Test.

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