The hosts were struggling at 84 for 5 before a 139-run stand between Shahadat Hossain and Jaker Ali helped them to 252

Mohammad Isam06-Dec-2022Mukesh Kumar’s six-wicket haul put India A in control of the first day of the second unofficial Test against Bangladesh A in Sylhet. The home side were bowled out for 252 with the Bengal seamer taking career-best figures of 6 for 40 in a bowling attack that also had Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini.A 139-run sixth-wicket stand between Shahadat Hossain and Jaker Ali rescued Bangladesh A from getting bowled out for a small total. Shahadat top scored with 80 with nine fours and two sixes, while Jaker made a more sedate 62 with six fours and a six. Earlier, Zakir Hasan, whose 173 had saved Bangladesh A from defeat in the first unofficial Test, scored 46 with nine boundaries.What would continue to worry the Bangladesh selectors is the form of Test regulars Mominul Haque (15) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy (12). Shadman Islam, too, fell cheaply for 4 when he became Umesh’s first wicket in the game.Mukesh’s initial burst of three wickets put Bangladesh A in a spot of bother. He removed Joy in the 15th over before captain Mohammad Mithun and Zakir also fell to his bowling as the home side slipped to 84 for 5. Mukesh later came on to dismiss Jaker, before taking the last two wickets.The two Yadavs, Umesh and Jayant, took two wickets for India A, too. At stumps, the visitors were 11 for no loss with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran unbeaten on 8 and 3 respectively.