India sneaked victory and a 2-0 series win over Bangladesh in a thrilling second Test on Sunday after the hosts came close to winning their first five-day game over their giant neighbours.

India needed just 145 to win the match and secure a series victory but the visitors in the end won by only three wickets in a nail-biting morning’s play on day four in Dhaka.

India had won 10 of the teams’ previous 12 Test matches since 2000, including five victories by an innings, and there had been two draws, the last in 2015.

India bowled Bangladesh out on Saturday for a sub-par 231 but the home side’s spinners Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan then reduced the visitors to 45-4 at stumps with 100 still to chase.

Shakib started the slide with the wicket of captain KL Rahul for two and then Mehidy claimed Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli – all for single-digit scores.

Bangladesh then reduced India to 74-7 when play resumed on Sunday but Shreyas Iyer (29*) and Ravichandran Ashwin (42*) put on 71 runs in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand to steer India home.

© Agence France-Presse