Time-wasting tactics are not new but they are surely frustrating for the fielding side. On Day 2 of the ongoing Dhaka Test, Najmul Hossain Shanto did not want to lose his wicket in the last few overs of the third session on December 23.
At first, Najmul asked for a bat change and Bangladesh substitutes walked out with drinks as well after the fourth over. Najmul who had asked for a change of bat tried all the bats that the substitute got but ended up playing with the one he had already.
The obvious time-wasting tactic irked stand-in skipper KL Rahul who then complained to the on-field umpires.
Later on, just before the last over of the day, Najmul retied his shoelaces. It prompted a response from former Indian skipper Virat Kohli who gestured that he should remove his shirt as well as he said, “Kapda nikal do”.
In the end, Bangladesh openers managed to play out the six overs of the game and walked back to the dressing room not out. There would have been more overs had openers not resorted to time-wasting tactics.
However, on Day 3 Shanto could not contribute to Bangladesh's score. In the second over of the first session, he got dismissed lbw by Ravichandran Ashwin. He reviewed the decision as well but ended up wasting it as hawkeye showed three reds.
Shanto scored just five runs from 31 deliveries whereas his opening partner Zakir Hasan went on to score half-century as Bangladesh struggled on Day 3.
Earlier on Day 2, Indian top-order failed but Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer's 161-run partnership for the fifth wicket helped India post 314 and take an 87-run lead. Both Pant and Iyer missed their centuries. Pant got out in the nineties whereas Iyer scored 87.
Bangladesh left-arm spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam got four wickets each to prevent India from taking a massive lead after first innings.
