Gautam Gambhir's reaction after Rishabh Pant was dismissed© X (Twitter)
Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir was visibly upset as Rishabh Pant threw away his wicket during Day 1 of the first Test match against Bangladesh in Chennai on Thursday. Pant was batting on 39 when he was dismissed by Hasan Mahmud after playing a loose shot. The left-handed batter chased a delivery outside the off-stump and ended up getting a thick outside edge. The ball flew to wicket-keeper Litton Das behind the stumps who made no mistake in completing the catch.
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Pant was extremely disappointed with his dismissal as he slammed his bat on his pads while Gambhir's reaction has already gone viral on social media.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's patient fifty was an exception when other Indian top-order batters failed the test of character that the Bangladeshi bowlers put them through, as the hosts found themselves on the ropes at 176 for six at tea.
Ravindra Jadeja (7) and Ravichandran Ashwin (21) were at the crease at tea.
Jaiswal made a solid 56 off 118 balls with nine fours amid the damage caused by pacer Hasan Mahmud (4/35).
The Indian batting effort was quite perplexing as neither the pitch nor the bowlers posed any significant challenges, barring the odd moments of difficulty that are part and parcel of Test cricket.
But the home side batters simply did not ace them, as their dismissals appeared more the result of lapse in concentration.
The departure of Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant (39), who added 62 runs off 99 balls for the fourth wicket, stood as a validation for that.
Pant, who looked fluent in the opening session, played a lame waft outside off Mahmud to give an easy catch to stumper Litton Das, ending the first part of the left-hander's return to Test cricket in 83 minutes.
Jaiswal, the most assured among the India batters on the day, raised his fifty off 95 balls when he turned Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a single, and he looked good for some more.
But a sudden rush of blood pushed the commonsense behind, as Jaiswal went for a drive off Nahid Rana that went straight to Shadman Islam at first slip.
KL Rahul was consumed by off-spinner Mehidy for 16 as India tumbled to 144 for six before Ashwin and Jadeja temporarily checked the free fall.
The second session was a replica of the preceding one when Mahmud tore through the Indian top order with a three-wicket haul.
(With PTI inputs)