2nd Test, Day 4: Mominul hundred helps Bangladesh reach 205-6 at lunch

Mominul Haque stood tall amid the chaos for Bangladesh on Day 4 of the Kanpur Test, crafting a magnificent century while wickets tumbled around him.

His unbeaten ton before lunch has been a beacon of resilience as India continue to exert pressure, leaving Bangladesh at 205/6 by the break.

This century is significant for Mominul and Bangladesh in more ways than one. For Mominul, this also marks only his second Test century outside Bangladesh, with the first coming in April 2021, at Pallekele, Sri Lanka. His 13th career century is a testament to his resilience, especially since all his centuries have come in Asia.

Bangladesh's batting began with cautious optimism, but it wasn't long before things began to unravel. The first major blow came when veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim was bowled by a peach of a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. Having looked uncertain, Mushfiqur tried to leave a delivery outside off-stump, only to see the ball nip back in and dislodge his stumps. He managed just 11 from 32 balls, leaving Bangladesh at a precarious 112/4.

In came Litton Das, and for a brief while, he gave Bangladesh some hope with his fluent strokeplay. He started confidently, smashing three boundaries off Bumrah in one over—one cover-drive through point, a classy cover drive, and another flick to square leg. But just when he seemed set to build on his start, Litton was dismissed by an acrobatic one-handed catch by Rohit Sharma off Mohammad Siraj's bowling. The shot was intended to clear mid-off, but Rohit timed his leap to perfection, leaving Bangladesh at 148/5.

As Litton departed, the pressure fell squarely on the experienced Shakib Al Hasan, who had already made headlines by announcing his impending retirement from Test cricket. He played a brief but aggressive knock, smashing a couple of boundaries off Ashwin, including a stylish inside-out shot. However, in a bid to repeat his earlier success, Shakib attempted to loft Ashwin again but only succeeded in skying the ball straight to Siraj at mid-off, who ran back to take an excellent catch. Shakib's departure for 24 left Bangladesh reeling at 170/6 and raised further questions about his future in the format.

While the wickets kept tumbling, Mominul Haque remained unflinching at the other end. Earlier in the innings, he survived a close call when he was initially given out caught behind off Siraj's bowling, but a successful review showed the ball had brushed his pad rather than his bat. Mominul went on to reach his half-century soon after, and as wickets kept falling, he dug in deeper, resisting India's bowling attack.

Just before lunch, Mominul completed a well-deserved century—his knock being a rare bright spot for Bangladesh on what has otherwise been a challenging morning session. His century, filled with crisp drives and calm defense, has held Bangladesh together amid the chaos. The left-hander, unbeaten at lunch, will need to continue anchoring the innings if Bangladesh hopes to post a competitive total.

At lunch on Day 4, Bangladesh is 205/6. With only Miraz and the lower order left to support Mominul, India will be looking to wrap up the innings quickly after the break. For Bangladesh, much now depends on how long their centurion can resist the relentless Indian attack.