Centuries from openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay, and a fluent 98 from Ajinkya Rahane, helped India amass 462 for 6 before rain washed out the final session of play on Day 3 in the one-off Test against Bangladesh, in Fatullah, on Friday.
Vijay, who resumed the day on 89, went on to play a superb knock of 150, while Dhawan stroked 173 from 195, hitting 23 fours as the duo put on an opening stand of 283 runs.
Rahane was unlucky to miss out on a hundred, falling after a fluent 98 as India looked to bat positively and give themselves a chance of forcing a result in the match.
Only 47.7 overs were bowled on the third day, with India scoring 223 runs for the loss of six wickets as rain once interrupted the proceedings a few times during the day.
Starting the session after a 90 minutes’ delayed start due to rain during lunch time, India lost Vijay (150) as Shakib al-Hasan (4-105), who had already taken two wickets in the first session, got the opener lbw and broke a 114-run fourth-wicket partnership.
Touching the 150-run mark, Vijay missed a sweep shot that hit him on the back pad and even though the point of impact looked outside the off-stump, umpire Kumar Dharmasena raised the dreaded finger.
Leg-spinner Jubair Hossian (2-113) also joined forces to clean up Wriddhiman Saha (6) with a well-disguised googly, which the wicketkeeper batsman was unable to read while going for an expansive drive.
Shakib continued his wicket-taking run and his arm ball denied Ajinkya Rahane (98) his fourth Test century.
With a clear intent to push the scoring rate, Rahane went for an aggressive pull shot but the ball crashed on to the off-stump.
Ravichandran Ashwin (2 not out) and Harbhajan Singh 7 not out) then tried to stitch up a partnership but rain came pouring down once again and the players rushed back to the pavilion.
Earlier, starting on 239 for no loss after the second day's play was lost due to rain, India moved on cautiously, with Vijay reaching his sixth Test ton in the eighth over of the day.
However, the Shakib-led spin attack had other ideas.
With play starting half-an-hour early to cover up for lost time, Shakib struck with his left-arm spin to send Shikhar Dhawan (173) back to the pavilion in the 68th over of the innings.
Coming down the track to counter Shakib's spin, the left-handed Dhawan found a leading edge and the ball lobbed into the waiting hands of the bowler.
The 283-run opening stand though fell six runs short of the record first-wicket partnership (289) between the duo in Mohali against Australia in March 2013, which was Dhawan's debut.
New-man Rohit Sharma (6) could not even settle in as Shakib spun another wicket for his side on a track that is looking spin-friendly on the third day.
Looking to drive a length ball, Rohit could only see his off stump cart-wheeling much to the delight of the Bangladeshi players.
With their tail up, the spinners got Vijay and India skipper Virat Kohli (14) on the defence even as the duo managed to find a few ambitious hits to the fence.
Jubair then broke through in the 75th over to get the prized wicket of Kohli.
The Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium exploded when Jubair delivered the googly spot on as a driving Kohli got an inside edge on to his pads and the ball rolled on to the stumps.
The Mushfiqur Rahim-led Bangladesh continued with the old ball even after the 80th over as spinners tried hard to fetch another wicket.
Even though Jubair had a few close calls and the hosts took the second new-ball in the 89th over, Vijay and Rahane played out the remaining session without much drama.
Image: Murali Vijay
Photograph: BCCI
