Pant (109) and Gill (119 not out) led the batting with a partnership of 167 runs for the fourth wicket in the second innings as India, who started at 81 for 3 overnight, declare their second innings at 287 for 4, giving them an overall lead of 514.
Bangladesh showed some fight in their second innings, reaching 158 for four when play was stopped at 4.25 pm due to poor light.
The visitors still need 357 runs to win. Najmul Hossain Shanto (51) and Shakib Al-Hasan (5) were at the crease for Bangladesh when the umpires called off play.
The day could have been better for Bangladesh if they had been more careful with their shots against R Ashwin, who took 3 for 63.
Day 3: As It Happened
Pant and Gill’s centuries were the highlights of the day as they overcame personal challenges to shine on third day.
Pant’s struggles have been well-documented, especially following a severe car crash in December 2022. His reaction to reaching his sixth Test hundred with a two off Shakib Al-Hasan highlighted the significance of this innings to him. Pant stood in the middle of the pitch with closed eyes, head tilted upwards, and bat raised, possibly offering a silent prayer for his return to cricket.
Gill watched from a distance, respecting Pant’s private moment.
Soon after, the two embraced warmly as the crowd at Chepauk cheered.
The moment also paid tribute to Pant equaling MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman — six.
Gill’s struggles were more mental than physical, primarily due to a lack of confidence in the traditional format.
Since scoring a century against England in Visakhapatnam earlier this year, Gill showed progress, further validated by his fifth Test hundred, achieved with a single off Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
While Gill started at 33 overnight and Pant at 12, their emotions were kept aside as they focused on tackling the Bangladesh bowlers with contrasting styles.
Pant began cautiously, looking to get his eye in before opening up. The turning point came when he pulled off-spinner Miraz for a four around the first drinks break of the day. From then on, Pant’s dismantling of Miraz was a constant as he reached his fifty off 88 balls.
After reaching fifty, Pant showcased some of his trademark shots.
Pant’s movements around the crease resembled a trapeze artist, and his scooped six over fine leg off Hasan Mahmud thrilled the crowd.
He was dropped on 72 by Shanto off Shakib but continued to push forward. He eventually completed his century before offering a return catch to Mehidy.
Gill’s batting was marked by minimalism, with precise shots rather than extravagant strokes. His short-arm pull or the punch through the covers, often executed against pacers Nahid Rana and Hasan, didn’t look conventional but were effective.
Gill then added another 53 runs off 51 balls with KL Rahul for the fifth wicket, pushing India’s lead past 500.
Facing a significant chase, Bangladesh applied themselves better than in the first innings. Shanto played a key role in their resistance. However, some of his teammates, Zakir Hasan (33) and Shadman Islam (35), lost their wickets to poor shot selection.
Shanto remained steady, hitting Ashwin for three sixes, including one that brought up his fifty off 56 balls.
The final session was played under floodlights due to deteriorating light conditions.
