Rain halts play twice, Bangladesh trail by 351 runs (Lunch report)

Rain halted play twice in the morning session of Day 4 of the lone cricket Test between Bangladesh and India as the hosts were batting at 111/3 at lunch at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium here on Saturday.

India declared at their overnight first innings score of 462/6 to let their bowlers roll over their arms and get some match practice. The Bangladeshi innings was first halted at 55/1 for about 15 minutes following a light drizzle.

Play was stopped again when the skies got darker and then opened up an hour later, forcing the umpires to call for lunch.

The hosts had only scored 27 runs in the morning when ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (2/30) struck for India, picking up the wicket of Tamim Iqbal (19).

Thereafter, opener Imrul Kayes (55 not out) and Monimul Haque (30) struck an 81-run second-wicket partnership. The stand consolidated the Bangladeshi innings as Kayes played a solid knock which included 10 boundaries.

But veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (1-23), making a comeback into the team, struck as he took his first international wicket in over two years when he Haque out. The Punjab tweaker's ball deceived Haque who skied the ball only to be caught by Umesh Yadav at mid-off.

Captain Virat Kohli utilised his spinners even further as Ashwin bagged another scalp when Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim edged a turning delivery to get caught out at leg slip.

The players had played just seven balls more when the heavy showers hit the ground again.