#INDvBAN: India's patience bears fruit against Bangladesh

Nine minutes and 15 balls into the final morning, a Ravindra Jadeja delivery turned sharply after hitting the rough outside the left-hander's off stump at the north end of the ground to get rid of Shakib Al Hasan. The ball turned nearly at 90 degrees to catch Shakib's glove and deflected to forward short leg Cheteshwar Pujara.

This gave India the belief that they could fold up the Bangladesh second innings quickly on an otherwise unhelpful pitch for spinners even on the fifth day. But, it was not as easy as Virat Kohli and Co. expected. They had to work really hard, their patience was tested to the fullest.

Resuming at overnight 103/3 and needing a further 356 for an improbable win, Bangladesh were bowled out for 250 in the extended second session. This left Virat Kohli's India victors by 208 runs, extending their unbeaten run to 19 Tests that include 15 wins and four draws since the Galle Test loss in early August 2015.

In doing so, Kohli also set a new bench mark for unbeaten run in Tests by an India captain, moving past Sunil Gavaskar's record in his first 18 games as skipper from 1976 to 1980.

Kohli tried various combinations among Ashwin, Jadeja, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma in order to break through the Bangladeshi defence. He brought Bhuvneshwar Kumar only halfway into the day when the second new ball was round the corner.

But Bangladesh's No. 4 Mahmudullah, who was under pressure to score, batted in a calm manner to bide his time rather than go for personal milestone.

That he reached his first Test fifty after 10 innings and his career's 13th in 32nd appearance was only incidental. He gave one final hope for Bangladesh to save the Test as the lower half was ready to give him company.

However, an impressive spell (6-1-12-2) post lunch by Ishant Sharma gave India back the advantage. Mixing short balls with good length around the off stump, Sharma trapped Sabbir Rahman plumb in front even though the last recognised batsman took a chance with DRS.

Soon, Mahmudullah fell to a short ball, the resultant top-edged pull falling into Kumar's safe hands at long leg.

At 225/7 and another 48.3 overs to survive, Bangladesh did not cave in. Their ability to stretch the inevitable was admirable. Kohli was helpless when a wicket was not falling. In search of another scalp, he effected frequent bowling changes but largely stuck to medium-pacers from the north end while spinners, particularly Jadeja, bowled from the south end to exploit the rough that consumed Shakib early in the day. Barring two fruitless overs from the south end, Ashwin operated from the north end.

The fastest to 250 Test wickets on Sunday, Ashwin did not have the advantage of the rough outside right-hander's off-stump like Jadeja had. He used his variations, and changed his line by going over and round the wicket but with little success.

It was a matter of surviving a couple of more hours for Bangladesh. They did well to consume overs and defend stoically to take their first ever Test on Indian soil into nearly the match's 15th and final session. On the other hand, time was running out for India.

But this team under Kohli firmly believes in patience when wickets aren't coming. A miscued pull high for short-leg KL Rahul to catch saw Jadeja take the ninth wicket minutes before tea and stretch the interval by half-an-hour.

However, the players did not have to wait long for tea as Ashwin built the pressure from the north end and eventually claimed the last wicket, courtesy a successful DRS by India for leg before wicket against Taskin Ahmed after the initial appeal for catch, referred to the third umpire by Marais Erasmus was negated by the third umpire.