Chattogram, Dec 14 (IANS): In the final session of day one in the first Test between India and Bangladesh at Chattogram on Wednesday, India's middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer received a massive slice of luck for the second time.

After being dropped by Ebadot Hossain at deep mid-wicket on 67, Iyer was on 77 when the right-arm pacer breached his defence by beating him on the outer edge to hit the stumps. However, to Bangladesh's dismay and India's relief, the bails failed to dislodge and rested back on the stumps, giving Iyer a reprieve yet again.

According to Law 29.1 of the MCC Laws of cricket, the bail has to be fully dislodged for a batter to be given out. Under the wicket is broken, the law says, "The wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or one or more stumps is removed from the ground."

Incidentally, the bail was replaced only three balls earlier when it failed to light up, causing a slight delay in the proceedings. To Iyer's luck, it was this exact bail that failed to come off when Ebadot hit the stumps.

Ebadot had been celebrating the moment he beat Iyer's bat to hit the stumps, aided by the lack of bounce on the delivery. But on seeing that the bails weren't dislodged, Iyer and Pujara were smiling as Bangladesh were left to rue what would have happened if the zing bails had fallen.

Coming to the match, Iyer and Cheteshwar Pujara smashed half-centuries to lead India's recovery from 48/3 to 278/6 at stumps. In the first session, Bangladesh had taken out Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli to reduce India to 48/3 in 19.3 overs. Pujara and Rishabh Pant (46) led the initial recovery for India through a counter-attacking 64-run stand.

But once Pant fell in the second session, Pujara joined hands with Iyer to lead another rescue act for India through a solid 149-run stand for the fifth wicket. Though Pujara would fall ten runs short of his century as left-arm spinner Taijul Islam took him out after beating him several times in the day, Iyer remained unbeaten on 82 off 169 balls on an absorbing day of Test cricket.