India’s ultra-aggressive batting template floor Bangladesh on Day 4
Having lost considerable time in the second Test due to wet conditions, India’s top-order batters infused life back into the Kanpur Test with a T20-styled approach, and in the process went on to break a few Test records after sunny skies allowed resumption of play on the penultimate day at the Green Park here on Monday.
Tridib Baparnash | Kanpur | September 30, 2024 7:24 pm
Having lost considerable time in the second Test due to wet conditions, India’s top-order batters infused life back into the Kanpur Test with a T20-styled approach, and in the process went on to break a few Test records after sunny skies allowed resumption of play on the penultimate day at the Green Park here on Monday. Rohit Sharma (23 off 11 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (72 off 51) provided a trailer of the approach India wanted to take in the remainder of the Test after bowling Bangladesh out for 233 in a little over 39 overs. As the rest of the India line-up followed a similar batting template, it eventually helped India register the fastest team 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 in men’s Tests, and declare their first innings on 285 for 9 in just 34.4 overs.
Jaiswal and KL Rahul blazed attacking fifties, striking at 141.17 and 158.13, respectively, to give Indian bowlers another shot at Bangladesh’s batters in the dying hours of the day, and Ravichandran Ashwin took advantage of Bangladesh’s vulnerability against quality off-spin, losing two wickets for 26, and trail by another identical figure. Mominul Haque, the first innings centurion, returned to bat a second day on the day, and returned undefeated without opening his account even as opener Shadman Islam survived a few scares to walk back unbeaten on 7 after facing 40 deliveries.
With the weather finally clearing on Monday, the pitch at the Green Park offered good carry in the first session but as the day progressed, the black-soil pitch deteriorated leaving the odd ball to keep a tad low. However, such things hardly mattered to Jaiswal, who began India’s innings with a hat-trick of fours off Hasan Mahmud. At the other end, Rohit brought his white-ball game into play, depositing fast bowler Khaled Ahmed over long-on, before pulling one into the deep-square leg stands for two sixes. The pair hit two fours and two sixes more to bring up India’s fifty in just three overs.
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Visibly shaken by India’s ultra-aggressive approach, Bangladesh brought in off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who after being welcomed by a four clubbed through midwicket, almost struck fourth ball when Rohit was ruled out lbw. But the Indian captain survived after opting for the referral. On the next ball, though, Mehidy managed to crash through Rohit’s defences to provide some relief to the tourists. Rohit’s dismissal hardly affected the tempo, as Jaiswal went on a rampage against spin. India managed to hit at least one four in each of overs six to 12. In the process, Jaiswal brought up a 31-ball fifty and India got to 100 in 10.1 overs, the fastest in men’s Tests by a distance.
At the other end, new man Shubman Gill got his eye in and also hit a massive six over midwicket after dancing down the track to Mehidy. The second-wicket partnership soon flourished to 72 runs, and just at the stroke of tea when Jaiswal looked on course for the three-figure mark, his 51-ball stay was ended by Hasan Mahmud with a good-length delivery that stayed low leaving the batter little room to free his arms. Post- tea, Gill tried continuing the momentum racing to 39 off 36 balls, and in his bid to take on Shakib Al Hasan, he holed out to Hasan Mahmud at long-off. Rishabh Pant, sent in at No. 4 ahead of Virat Kohli, also dragged a tossed-up ball from Shakib down long-on’s throat to perish for 9.
However, the quick dismissals didn’t slow India down as Kohli and Rahul joined forces to rotate strike and bat freely. Having survived a run-out scare off Khaled Ahmed, Kohli switched on his ODI mode, by belting the former for back-to-back fours, the second off which was a loft over extra cover. He also used his feet against spin, thumping Taijul Islam straight over long-off. In a bid to slog Shakib over midwicket, though, he was bowled after one skidded through after scoring a 35-ball 47.
Rahul, who went on to slam his fastest Test fifty off 33 deliveries, showed why he’s rated highly by the Indian team management, as he displayed a range of classical stroke-making, using the sweeps and reverse sweeps and pulls, aplenty. With tail-enders in company, Rahul’s attempt to go hard against the off-spin of Mehidy found him short of his crease after slamming a 43-ball 68. And once Akash Deep holed out to long-on after wielding his willow for a couple of sixes, India declared with a lead of 52.
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraj (4/41) and Shakib (4/78) were the pick of the bowlers amidst the Indian batting onslaught.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 233 and 26/2 (Ravichandran Ashwin 2-14) trail India 285/9 decl. (Yashasvi Jaiswal 72, KL Rahul 68; Mehidy Hasan 4/41, Shakib Al Hasan 4/78) by 26 runs.
After inclement weather conditions allowed only 35 overs of play in hte first three days of the second Test against Bangladesh, India adopted a never-seen-before ultra-aggressive approach to snatch a seven-wicket victory in Kanpur, and eventually complete a 2-0 whitewash of their eastern neighbours.
India’s never-seen-before all-out approach in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh paid rich dividends as it helped the home side snatch a win even after losing two full days due to inclement weather conditions. It resulted in India’s first Test series victory under Gautam Gambhir, who took over as head coach in July.
India’s thumping seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Kanpur not only helped them complete a clean sweep of the eastern neighbours but also consolidate their stay at the top of the World Test Championships standings, with an improved point percentage of 74.24.