Pant, who is making a comeback to Test cricket since recovering from the serious car accident in December 2022, was at the receiving end of a throw, which annoyed him; and the words he exchanged with Das were caught on the stump microphone.
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“Mere ko kyu maar rahe ho? (why are your hitting me)” Pant was heard telling Das, to which the Bangladesh stumper replied: “Woh to fekega hi na (he has to throw).”
After India were reduced to 34 for 3 by Mahmud inside the first 10 overs, Pant (33*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (37*) stitched an unbroken partnership of 54 runs to take their team to lunch at 88 for 3 after Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
However, Mahmud returned after lunch to break the fourth-wicket stand after it had reached 62 runs. The right-arm pacer dismissed Pant caught behind by wicketkeeper Das for 39 to take his fourth wicket of the innings.
The track made with the help of red soil and having some underlying moisture on the first morning assisted Mahmud, and he made it count with the big scalps of Rohit Sharma (6), Virat Kohli (6) and Shubman Gill (0) before sending Pant back as well.
Both India and Bangladesh went in with a bowling combination of three pacers and two spinners, hoping to give their bowlers a chance to exploit the conditions under an overcast sky.