Shreyas Iyer has played five of his six Tests so far in the subcontinent and it’s no surprise that he averages 56. On Wednesday, Iyer played another innings of an accumulator to perfection in the company of Cheteshwar Pujara on the opening day of the first Test in Chittagong.

The pair pulled India out of the woods with a responsible 149-run partnership on a tricky wicket which is expected to favour the spinners.

The conditions prompted India to go in with three spinners — Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav — and their decision to bat first on winning the toss.

The quick dismissals of Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli left them struggling at 48 for 3 but Pujara and Rishabh Pant made quick amends before a defiant fifth wicket partnership helped them reach 278 for 6 at stumps. Pujara fell ten short of what would have been his first Test hundred since January 2019, while Iyer finished on an unbeaten 82.

Bangladesh’s sloppy fielding came to India’a aid as both Pujara and Iyer survived easy chances. Nurul Hasan put Pujara down off the bowling of Ebadot Hossain when the batter was on 12.

Iyer was luckier. Nurul grassed a chance off Shakib-al Hasan when Iyer was on 30.

Then Ebadot put down a straightforward catch at deep midwicket with Iyer on 67.

Ten runs later, Iyer had another stroke of luck when Ebadot’s delivery brushed the off stump but failed to dislodge the bails.

If Pujara and Iyer gave the innings respectability, the fourth wicket pair of Pujara and Pant bailed them out of the early reverses.

They added 64 off just 72 balls for the fourth wicket with Pant contributing a 45-ball 46.

Pant picked up three boundaries and a six off Taijul before lunch, with India making a decent recovery. He continued in the same vein after the break as well, and even clubbed a full toss from Mehidy Hasan over the deep midwicket ropes.

Once Pant departed, it meant hard toil for Bangladesh. For a better part of the post-tea session, India seemed to be in control. Pujara and Iyer used their feet to good effect to take the spinners head on. The India No. 3 raised his 34th Test half-century and Iyer followed suit three overs later.

Pujara though isn’t too worried about missing a hundred.

“Even if it’s just 90, it’s quite valuable for the team. It was a good ball, there was nothing I could have done,” Pujara said after the first day’s play.

“I am not too worried about not getting to the three-figure mark. I have been batting well and if I continue like this, hopefully it will come soon.”

Pujara is sure that batting will become difficult on this pitch. “You can’t bat time on this pitch,” he said. “There will be a ball which will get you out. There was variable bounce from the first or second over onwards. The odd ball kept low.

“You are never set on this pitch,” Pujara said.