Chennai, Sep 21 (IANS): Veteran off-spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin picked three crucial wickets as India reduced Bangladesh to 158/4 in 37.2 overs at stumps, taken early due to bad light, on Day Three of the first Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.

With two more days still left in the game, it is now a chase in whether India, who are clearly in the driver’s seat in the match, pick six wickets first or Bangladesh, who began the chase well, orchestrate the impossible by making the remaining 357 runs. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is unbeaten on 51, with Shakib Al Hasan giving him company at five not out.

The final session began with openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam resuming their unbroken 56-run stand. The duo could add only six runs to their opening partnership before Jasprit Bumrah enticed Zakir into going for a drive and Yashasvi Jaiswal dived to his left at the gully to take a fabulous catch.

Ashwin was carted for three boundaries by Islam and Shanto, before the off-spinner had the latter flicking to Shubman Gill at mid-wicket, who dived forward to complete the catch. Even as Shanto grew in confidence with his loft, pull, and reverse sweep, Ashwin continued to strike by getting the ball to curl away from Mominul Haque’s outside edge and hit off-stump.

Shanto continued to hit boundaries and got his fifty in 55 balls by sweeping Ashwin over backward square-leg for six. But from the other end, the veteran off-spinner took out Mushfiqur Rahim as he couldn’t keep the drive down and K.L. Rahul took a superb forward diving catch at mid-on.

Shortly after Mohammed Siraj was brought back into the bowling attack after drinks, players walked off due to bad light and eventually forced early stumps on a day dominated by India yet again.

Brief scores:

India 376 and 287/4 dec in 64 overs (Shubman Gill 119 not out, Rishabh Pant 109; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-103) lead Bangladesh 149 and 158/4 in 37.2 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 51 not out, Shadman Islam 35; Ravichandran Ashwin 3-63) by 357 runs