CHENNAI, India (AP) — Rishabh Pant struck a century in his comeback test as India set Bangladesh a 515-run target to win the first test on Saturday.
An unlikely chase was even more unlikely when Bangladesh was reduced to 158-4 by stumps on day three.
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CHENNAI, India (AP) — Rishabh Pant struck a century in his comeback test as India set Bangladesh a 515-run target to win the first test on Saturday.
Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrates his fifty runs on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrates his fifty runs on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto plays a shot on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India's Rishabh Pant plays a shot on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India's Rishabh Pant celebrates scoring a century on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India's Rishabh Pant celebrates scoring a century on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India's Rishabh Pant celebrates scoring a century on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Pant, playing his first test since a near-fatal car crash in December 2022, scored 109 off 128 balls to help India reach 287-4 in its second innings when it declared.
Shubman Gill added an unbeaten 119.
In reply, Bangladesh lost four wickets after tea with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto resisting with 51 not out off 60 balls. Shakib al Hasan, 5 not out, was with him when bad light stopped play. Bangladesh needs 357 more runs.
Earlier, Pant and Gill shared 167 runs for the fourth wicket. They put on 124 runs in the wicket-less morning session.
Pant reached 50 off 88 balls, while Gill got there off 79 deliveries, as India went to lunch at 205-3.
After lunch, Pant equaled MS Dhoni’s record for most test hundreds by an India wicketkeeper. Dhoni scored his six hundreds in 90 tests; Pant reached the milestone in his 34th test.
Pant was seriously injured in a single-car crash in December 2022, last playing test cricket against Bangladesh earlier that month. He was away from the game for 17 months recuperating from knee and back injuries before returning this year for the Indian Premier League. He was also part of India’s T20 World Cup campaign.
Pant reached 100 off 124 balls, and hit 13 fours as well as four sixes.
Gill reached his fifth hundred off 161 balls and stayed unbeaten until the end.
Pant was dismissed after his century, caught off Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while Lokesh Rahul was 22 not out at the declaration.
Bangladesh went to tea at 56 without loss in 13 overs as openers Zakir Hasan (33) and Shadman Islam (35) put on the highest opening partnership for the visitors on Indian soil.
Only one wicket fell in Saturday's first two sessions as opposed to 23 wickets across the first two days.
After tea, Jasprit Bumrah got the breakthrough, as Hasan was caught at gully. Yashasvi Jaiswal took a low one-handed catch to his left.
Ravichandran Ashwin then picked up 3-63 as he ran through the Bangladesh top order. He troubled the batters with bounce and induced them into false shots.
Opener Shadman Islam was out caught at midwicket by a diving Gill. Then Mushfiqur Rahim was out for 13, again to a brilliant forward diving catch by Rahul at mid-on.
In between, Ashwin bowled Mominul Haque for 13 as Bangladesh was reduced to 146-4.
Skipper Shanto reached his fourth half-century off 55 balls. He hit four fours and three sixes.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
India's Shubman Gill celebrates scoring a century on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrates his fifty runs on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrates his fifty runs on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto plays a shot on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India's Rishabh Pant plays a shot on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India's Rishabh Pant celebrates scoring a century on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India's Rishabh Pant celebrates scoring a century on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India's Rishabh Pant celebrates scoring a century on the third day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Voting ended in Sri Lanka's presidential election Saturday as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.
The election, contested by 38 candidates, was largely a three-way race among incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Marxist-leaning lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
There were no major incidents reported during the vote but authorities declared a countrywide curfew until Sunday morning as a precaution, police said.
There are 17 million eligible voters, and final results are expected Sunday.
They will show whether Sri Lankans approve of Wickremesinghe's leadership of a fragile recovery, including restructuring Sri Lanka's debt under an International Monetary Fund bailout program after it defaulted in 2022.
The government announced Thursday that it passed the final hurdle in debt restructuring by reaching an agreement in principle with private bond holders.
At the time of its default, Sri Lanka’s local and foreign debt totaled $83 billion. The government says it has now restructured more than $17 billion.
Despite a significant improvement in key economic figures, Sri Lankans are struggling with high taxes and living costs.
Both Premadasa and Dissanayake say they will renegotiate the IMF deal to make austerity measures more bearable. Wickremesinghe has warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay the release of a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion that is crucial to maintaining stability.
Most Sri Lankans voted with the economy in mind, hoping a new government will lead the way out of crisis and end entrenched corruption.
“I think corruption is one of the main reasons that led the country to the present pathetic condition. So, the next leader should pay attention to eliminate corruption and start building the country,” said Chandrakumar Suriyaarachchi, a driver who voted in Saturday's election. "Our children deserve a better life.”
Political experts say widespread disenchantment with the political old guard — widely blamed for Sri Lanka's economic instability — could mean no single candidate is able to secure 50% of votes as a first preference. In that scenario, the top two candidates move to a second round of counting that takes into account second-choice votes.
There are concerns that if a clear winner fails to emerge, the island nation could plunge into more instability.
Voter Visaka Dissanayake said he hopes Sri Lanka votes for a “strong leader, who will set the path for economic recovery."
“We have now come out of a very difficult situation. So, I hope the economic recovery will continue,” Dissanayake said.
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis resulted largely from excessive borrowing on projects that did not generate revenue. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s insistence on using scarce foreign reserves to prop up the currency, the rupee, contributed to the economy’s free fall.
The economic collapse brought a severe shortage of essentials such as medicine, food, cooking gas and fuel, with people spending days waiting in line to obtain them. It led to rioting in which protesters took over key buildings including the president’s house, his office and the prime minister’s office, forcing then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.
Wickremesinghe was elected by a parliamentary vote in July 2022 to cover the remainder of Rajapaksa’s five-year term. Now, Wickremesinghe is seeking another term to strengthen the gains.
However, many people accuse him of protecting members of the Rajapaksa family, whom they blame for the economic crisis.
Wickremesinghe, who was the only member of his party in Parliament, was elected mainly with the votes of Rajapaksa loyalists. They also supported him as members of his Cabinet and in voting for the reforms he proposed.
Associated Press video journalist Rishi Lekhi contributed to this report.
Sajith Premadasa, opposition leader and the presidential candidate of United People's Power or Samagi Jana Balawegaya party, gestures as he leaves a polling station after casting his vote, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sep. 21, 2024. (AP Photo)
Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake leaves a polling station after casting his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
People wait in a queue to cast their votes at a polling center during the presidential election Colombo , Sri Lanka Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sajith Premadasa, opposition leader and the presidential candidate of United People's Power or Samagi Jana Balawegaya party, gestures as he leaves a polling station after casting his vote, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo)
Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake leaves a polling station after casting his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
An election monitor watches voters waiting in queue at a polling center during the presidential election on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
People wait in a queue to cast their votes at a polling center during the presidential election on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Polling officers set up their booth in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
A police officer stands guard as polling officers set up their booth in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
People wait in a queue to casts their votes at a polling station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
People wait in a queue to casts their votes at a polling station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe shows indelible mark on his baby finger after casting his vote, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe reacts after casting his vote, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives to cast his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan police officer stands guard as voters queue to cast their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan police officer stands guard as voters queue to cast their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan show their baby fingers marked with an indelible ink after casting their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
A person shows indelible mark on his finger after casting his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
People stand in a queue to cast their votes in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Election officials leave a distribution center after collecting polling material for the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Police officers wait for transport to travel to polling stations ahead of the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A police officer stands guard outside a polling material distribution center ahead of the presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Sri Lanka's opposition leader and presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa speaks to his supporters during a public rally in Thalawakele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Women election officials walk past security personnel outside a distribution center before collecting polling materials for the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
