Pant, Iyer put India in command in second Test
Mirpur: Rishabh Pant enhanced his reputation of being team's biggest game-changer with a scintillating 93 that put India in a commanding position for a series clean sweep against Bangladesh, here Friday.
Pant, who got out in the 90s for the sixth time in his Test career, again brought his 'A' game to the fore with a counter-attacking knock that formed the cornerstone of India's first innings score of 314 on the second day of the second Test.
Between the lunch and the tea, the match which seemed to be hanging in balance was single-handedly changed by Pant, whose 104-ball innings had seven fours and five huge sixes -- a few of them were one-handed lofted shots.
Shreyas Iyer, who has been consistent since his Test debut last year, also batted with a lot of intent but missed his second hundred of the series, getting out for 87 off 105 balls.
Riding on the 159-run fifth wicket stand between Pant and Iyer, India, who were tottering at 94 for four, will fancy their chances for a fourth-day finish and consolidate their position in the World Test Championship table. Trailing by 87 runs, Bangladesh were seven for no loss at stumps on Day 2. The batting will only get difficult on the third day and playing Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel on this track will be a Herculean task.
"I love and thrive under challenges. Pressure lifts me, that's the situation I wanted to be in. Pant kept me calm and composed. It was crucial," Iyer said after day's play. Asked further about his conversation with Pant, Iyer said, "It wasn't an intense chat. I didn't want to disturb his focus. We tried to communicate with actions, he maintained calm and targeted the right bowlers."
The morning session belonged to Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (4/74), who rocked the top-order by dismissing skipper KL Rahul (10), Shubman Gill (20) and Cheteshwar Pujara (24) but by the end of afternoon session, Pant had blown the hosts away.
It only helped Iyer at the other end, who was equally aggressive and a surface that looked difficult to bat on suddenly appear to be a willow wielder's paradise.
Pant literally manhandled the Bangladeshi spin troika by smashing five sixes -- two off Taijul, a couple off Mehidy Hasan Miraz and one off skipper Shakib Al Hasan.
The visitors were in trouble at 94 for four when Virat Kohli (24, 73 balls) once again nicked one off Taskin Ahmed outside the off-stump channel before Pant propelled the Indian innings.
But Taijul was made to look pedestrian by the maverick keeper-batter from Rourkee.
Pant hammered Taijul into submission by repeatedly dancing down the track and carting him either in the arc between the mid-wicket and long-on or by lofting him down the ground.
The most exhilarating one was a one-handed down-the-ground shot off rival captain Shakib. And it was not at all surprising when he repeated the stuff off Miraz over long-on for a 100-metre long maximum.
