India vs Bangladesh, Day/Night Test: India on verge of series-clinching victory against Bangladesh

KOLKATA: Vintage Virat Kohli, a shrewd declaration, fiery pace bowling, another rap on the helmet, fight for survival. The 50,000-strong Eden Gardens crowd on the second day of the country's maiden day-night Test was witness to another dominating display by India as Bangladesh just about managed to stretch the second and final Test into the third day.SCORECARDAt one stage, it appeared that Bangladesh would join Afghanistan as the only team to be beaten in a Test inside two days by India. They avoided that ignominy due to seniors Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah's survival instincts - nudge, edge, hop, skip, jump but hang in there.From 13 for 4 in their second innings, after having conceded a 241-run lead, the duo took the score to 82 before Mahmudullah pulled a muscle and retired hurt. Rahim, with an unbeaten 59, took the score to 152 for 6 at stumps. They lived to fight another day, still needing 89 runs to make India bat a second time, but how long they will last on Day 3 is anybody's guess.First thing first, and Kohli has to be the story of the day. The India skipper took centrestage even as the hype over pink ball dipped slightly. The India skipper rode past the aura surrounding the ball as he scored his 27th Test hundred and 70th overall in international cricket.Kohli's knock was the backbone of India's declaration at 347 for 9, an hour after the lunch break, as the India skipper dared Bangladesh to survive a session and a half under lights.The visitors ran into a charged-up pace trio, with Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami spitting fire once again. Ishant grabbed four and Yadav one as Bangladesh could not fathom what hit them. Mohammed Mithun almost become his team's third player to suffer a concussion-related exit after being struck on the helmet by Ishant, but carried on bravely, not for long though. Skipper Mominul Haque, a frontline batsman, got a pair.Kohli's century (136) had class written all over it with some of the 18 boundaries caressed through gaps with silken smoothness and the rest smash hits that raced to the fence. Even though Bangladesh pacer Ebadot Hussain probed his off stump briefly, it was a chanceless knock that will go down as another first in the country's maiden day-night Test.Stopping Kohli would have required a dash of brilliance, and that came from concussion-substitute Taijul Islam. Ebadot's delivery flew off Kohli's blade and looked like clearing the rope. Taijul, manning the deep square-leg boundary, threw himself and held a fine catch.Kohli was looking unstoppable at that stage, having struck Abu Jayed for four consecutive boundaries - through gully, mid-on, straight down and cover - a few overs earlier.In partnership with Ajinkya Rahane, Kohli added 99 runs for the third wicket, 62 of those coming on Saturday. Rahane helped himself to his fourth 50-plus score on the trot. If Bangladesh had encountered some demons in the track on Friday, the Indian duo didn't find any.Kohli was dismissed at 308 just before twilight set in. It was the second time in two days that the Indians were batting during this tricky period and more wickets fell than the hosts would have liked.A word on the pink ball: it didn't last 60 overs and was changed after 58.4 overs of India's innings. That's not a good sign and the manufacturers will have to find ways to improve its longevity, considering that not all centres in the sub-continent are as conducive to this version of Test cricket as Eden Gardens.