India declared overnight on 462/6 before R Ashwin picked up two wickets and Harbhajan Singh took one to reduce Bangladesh to 111/3. Rain forced two sessions to be completely washed out on Day 4. Catch highlights here.
Bangladesh were 111/3 and trailing by 351 runs when rain washed out the last two sessions of Day 4 of the only Test against India. Catch highlights from the match here. (SCORECARD | PHOTOS | FIXTURES)
3.30 PM IST: Play called off. Early start again tomorrow. We will be back with live coverage from 9 AM IST.
3.00 PM: It has stopped raining. The umpires had a look at the ground and decided to schedule another inspection at 3.30 PM IST.
2.40 PM IST: It has started to drizzle again.
2.25 PM IST:Covers coming off and inspection in five minutes.
2.10 PM IST: Tea has been supposedly taken. Another session washed out.
2.00 PM IST: It has started drizzle again and consequently the covers are coming back on.
1.40 PM IST: The covers at the bowlers' run-up near the pavilion end are coming up and the Super Soppers have been pressed into service.
1.30 PM IST: The covers are starting to come off. Weather forecast for Fatullah says there's very little chance of rain from now on.
1.25 PM IST: It has stopped raining and the ground staff are getting busy. Bit of a stir at the stadium now but we are not yet sure how long it could take to get the ground in playing condition.
1.08 PM IST: The Bangladesh ground staff have their task cut out; there are puddles of water on the ground that would need to be cleared. But before that, the drizzling needs to stop.
12.55 PM IST: A mild drizzle means the covers are still on. That's the latest.
12.40 PM IST: Even as India picked up three crucial wickets, Imrul Kayes stood strong and played beautifully - he used his feet well, took the pacers on and looked the best of all the Bangladeshi batsmen today. India would be keen to get rid of him as soon as play resumes.
12.30 PM IST: The drizzling had stopped but it's back again. The covers have got pools of water. Further delay for sure.
12.15 PM IST: Lot of people have wondered if this was the right time to hold a series in Bangladesh. Rain has all but ruined this Test match. South Africa are scheduled to visit Bangladesh later, during the peak of monsoons.
12.05 PM IST: Not raining heavily anymore but it's a steady drizzle nevertheless. What that certainly means is further delay. Sanjay Manjrekar said on air that this would be really frustrating for India, who were beginning to push for a result in this match. Bangladesh trail by 351 runs in the first innings with seven wickets in hand.
11.53 AM IST: Harbhajan has missed 88 international matches between his last Test appearance (March 2013) and this one. He has missed out on plenty of cricket for India and he would be keen to show his worth, provided the weather permits. Bhajji looked in good rhythm and bowled some top deliveries before rain and bad light forced players off the field.
11.42 AM ITS: India have won six out of seven Tests in Bangladesh, while they drew one. Looks like we are headed for a second draw. Chances of a result are diminishing steadily now.
11.20 AM IST: Lunch taken after bad light stops play. It had gone really dark and the umpires decided to take no chance - the covers came on quickly and the players rushed off the ground. Bangladesh are 111/3 and trail India by 351 runs.
11.16 AM IST: Some serious damage done to Bangladesh, thanks to Ashwin and Harbhahan - this was always going to be a crucial phase for the hosts and they have lost two important wickets. Tense moments in the match as Shakib joins Kayes in the middle. It's also beginning to get dark again.
11.09 AM IST: WICKET! Harbhajan strikes to remove the dangerous Mominul Haque, who was moving steadily towards AB de Villiers' record of fifties in 12 consecutive Tests. Bangladesh are 108/2, trailing India by 354 runs.
10.59 AM IST: Kayes and Mominul have looked very comfortable so far but this phase of play could be the most challenging for the pair with Harbhajan and Ashwin bowling in tandem. Bangladesh 103/1.
10.54 AM IST: Meanwhile, Mominul Haque is on the verge of equaling AB de Villiers' record for fifties in 12 consecutive Tests. Though the Bangladeshi No. 3 said he was not eying the feat, he's well within reach now.
10.49 AM IST: Fifty for Imrul Kayes, his third in Test cricket. And it has come off 75 balls, in pretty good time. Bangladesh are 97/1 and are looking very aggressive against the Indians.
10.37 AM IST: FOUR! Kayes punishes a loose one from Harbhajan and moves to 45. Bangladesh are 89/1 against India.
10.29 AM IST: Harbhajan Singh in the attack for the first time in over two years - he has 413 wickets in the longest format of the match. A lot will be expected of the Turbanator.
10.21 AM IST: Ashwin has got some drift and turn going for him - it will be interesting to see him bowl in tandem with Harbhajan later on in the innings. The pacers have not been very impressive yet.
10.17 AM IST: FOUR! Cracking cover-drive by Kayes as Umesh over pitches. The crowd is loving this spell of batting by their national heroes.
10.16 AM IST: Play has resumed and Bangladesh have moved on to 64/1 in 14 overs vs India
10:06 AM IST:It has stopped raining. Play could begin soon with the covers coming off.
9.58 AM IST: Rain stops play with Bangladesh on 55/1 vs India on Day 4.
9.53 AM IST: Bangladesh are moving along nicely after losing Tamim Iqbal. They are 54/1 and both Kayes and Mominul have looked comfortable against the Indian attack. Umesh Yadav has been tardy in his two overs so far but it's still early days in the Bangladeshi innings.
9.27 AM IST: WICKET! Ashwin gets one to dip and spin sharply and Tamim (19) was completely flummoxed. Great work by Saha behind the stumps as Bangladesh lost their first wicket of the innings; 27/1, trail India by 435 runs.
9.23 AM IST: Bangladesh 23/0 and Ashwin concedes another boundary in his third over - that was dismissed by Tamin. But he comes back well and got sharp turn off the next ball. India have the luxury of a massive first innings score and Kohli has continued an aggressive field.
9.15 AM IST: FOUR! Great shot by Tamim - this has been a good show of intent by the Bangladeshi openers. They will not be intimidated by India's spinners here. Ashwin needs to watch his line.
9.12 AM IST: Tamin was in superb form against Pakistan - his double hundred should also have served notice to India, who have struggled with their bowling over the last few years. But it could be different today with the pitch having worn out considerably.
9.08 AM IST: FOUR! Hint of turn but it was a shortish delivery and Imrul Kayes gives it the treatment it deserves. Bangladesh 8/0 vs India
9.05 AM IST: Bangladesh take two runs off Ishant's first over and India have introduced Ashwin in the attack right away - fielders around the bat. Pressure being applied early.
9.02 AM IST: There are 196 overs left in this Test match. There is no guarantee of course that all of those overs will be possible given the weather conditions in Fatullah. Rain has played spoilsport over the last three days - all of Day 2 was washed out. But there is a lot of wear and tear in the pitch, so India would be confident of some quick wickets.
9.00 AM IST: Play starts in bright and sunny conditions after India declared overnight. It will be a tough task for Bangladesh with the pitch expected to assist spinners. There were visible cracks on the surface. Tamin Iqbal faces up to Ishant Sharma.
8.45 AM IST: Bangladesh will have to bat out of their skin here. The ball seemed to turn pretty sharply last afternoon and India have two quality off-spinners in their ranks. But before that, the Tigers will have to counter India's pace attack and that itself would be a massive challenge.
8.35 AM IST: India declared on their overnight score of 462/6. Plenty of time has been lost to rain and it was only a matter of time before the visitors got Bangladesh in to bat. The hosts will be under sevre pressure against the spin twin of Ashwin and Harbhajan. The latter is making a Test comeback after two years and would be eager to impress.
8.20 AM IST: It's bright and sunny in Fatullah - no word yet on when India will declare. But their bowlers have been spotted warming up this morning. India are 462/6 with play set to begin in less than an hour on Day 4.
Can Hurricane Harbhajan Destroy Bangladesh?
- Harbhajan has six wickets from four Test matches against Bangladesh.
� - He has an economy of 3.11 from 92.3 overall Test overs bowled against the side.
- His best figures against the team (2 for 19) came in the Chittagong Test in 2004. India won that match by an innings and 83 runs.
Harbhajan would have been itching to roll his arms over on a pitch that has shown it has a lot for spinners. After all, each of the six first innings wickets fell to a spinner with Shakib-al-Hasan claiming four of them. Shakib was easily the pick of the Bangla bowlers and Harbhajan would want to be just that for his side when India come out to field. The conducive track will surely help him enjoy bowling - a factor key to his cricket fulfillment. "It is important to enjoy the game. Enjoy factor should not go away. I want to enjoy whatever cricket is left in me," the "Turbanator" had said of his comeback.
'Enjoyment' though has eluded Bangladesh so far in the Test.
In the 103� overs bowled over three days of start-stop cricket due to rains, Indian batsmen showcased their might to the fullest. While Shikhar Dhawan walked away with a massive 173 to his name, Murali Vijay fell to an unfortunate decision for 150. Ajinkya Rahane too helped himself to 98 runs to push a strong case for his side. With Ravichandran Ashwin (2*) and Harbhajan (7*) set to resume the innings, the spotlight would be on their bowling rather than their batting - a fact that makes an early declaration an imminent possibility.
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