KANPUR: Bad light followed by heavy rain ended play before tea on day one of the second Test between India and Bangladesh here on Friday.
The visitors were batting at 107-3 with Mominul Haque (40) and Mushfiqur Rahim (6) on the crease when dark clouds made visibility tough and umpires took the players off the ground after lunch.
Dim light turned into heavy rain and officials called off play after the covers were laid out, with more downpours forecast for Saturday in the northern Indian city.
India, who lead the two-match series 1-0, elected to field in overcast conditions and fast bowler Akash Deep vindicated captain Rohit Sharma’s decision with two wickets in the first hour of play.
He removed openers Zakir Hasan, caught out for a duck, and Shadman Islam, trapped lbw on 24, with his seaming deliveries to the left-handers.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made 31, put on 51 runs with Mominul to play out the remainder of the first session, but first-match hero Ravichandran Ashwin broke the stand after lunch.
Off-spinner Ashwin, who hit a century and took six wickets in India’s opening win, took down Najmul lbw with a turning delivery from around the wicket.
The hosts have come in unchanged with three seamers, who have regularly troubled the opposition batsmen with plenty of deliveries beating the bat.
Bangladesh ex-captain Shakib, 37, announced his international retirement on Thursday and said he could be playing his last Test match if he is unable to return home for a slated South Africa series.
Shakib is a former lawmaker for the party of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina and has stayed away from Bangladesh due to the threat of criminal charges levelled against him and dozens of her former allies.
India are favoured to sweep the two-match series after winning the opener in Chennai by 280 runs and extend their advantage at the top of the World Test Championship rankings.
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