Shamik Chakrabarty in Kanpur
Around 4 PM, some fans were still sitting in the stands at Green Park, soaking up India’s fantastic win and cheering. It was almost an hour-and-a-half after play ended. On Day 5, the stadium witnessed a full house, attesting to Kanpur’s love for Test cricket. Rohit Sharma and his team gave the fans a memorable experience to savour.
The Kanpur Test showcased India’s ability to play the situation. Unlike England and their fad for Bazball, this Indian team is not confined to a one-dimensional approach. In the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, they scored 376 runs in their first innings in 91.2 overs and declared at 287/4 in the second innings after 64 overs. At Green Park, when the hosts wanted to force a result in a Test that had lost two-and-a-half days due to rain and a wet outfield, they declared at 285/9 in just 34.4 overs in their first innings before chasing down the victory target of 95 (98/3) in 17.2 overs in the second. India scored at a stunning 8.22 runs per over in the first innings and slowed to 5.65 runs per over in the second, when the win was a formality and time wasn’t a factor.
The first innings saw a no-holds-barred approach, which was high-risk. A few quick wickets could have triggered a batting collapse, but India were prepared for that. “The batters were willing to take the risk, and we were ready to give ourselves a chance at a result,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation.
It wasn’t easy, regardless of the quality of the opposition, and the Indian captain acknowledged this. “To be honest, we had to think a lot to keep the game moving forward,” he said. “When we came on Day 4, we wanted to get them (Bangladesh) out as early as possible and see what we could do with the bat. It was not about the runs we got but the overs we wanted to bowl at them. The pitch didn’t have much for the bowlers, but getting a game out of that pitch was a great effort from the bowlers.”
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was adjudged Player of the Series for scoring 114 runs in two innings, including a century, and taking 11 wickets, offered insight into his captain’s thought process. “When we bowled them out yesterday, Rohit was very keen and said that we needed almost 80 overs to bowl at them, and told us that we would go hard straightaway,” Ashwin said at the post-match press conference. “He went out and hit his first ball for a six. When a captain does that, everyone follows.”
The Ashwin-Jadeja Overseas Debate
In two months’ time, India will be in Australia for a marquee five-Test series. Once again, the Ashwin versus Ravindra Jadeja debate in overseas tours might resurface. If India go with one specialist spinner, the offie will have to sit out. Ashwin, however, sees the bigger picture.
“It doesn’t cross my mind anymore at all,” he said. “If he (Jadeja) is the one who has to play, then he is the one who has to play. I have complete faith in him, and I have got his back when he goes out there to play.”
He added: “Like I said, going to another country, especially Australia or England, and your team putting in an extraordinary performance and winning a Test match makes me an incredibly proud Indian. Also, he (Jadeja) is the second left-arm spinner to take 300 wickets. I think he has scored 3,000 runs. These are significant achievements. Sometimes when you miss out, you feel you are missing out, and nobody likes missing out. But the fact is that India is blessed to have two bowlers who can play in the same spot and are good enough. So, it doesn’t cross my mind. It used to occur once upon a time.”
Pros and Cons of Five Test Centres
Two washed-out days have put Kanpur’s facilities under the scanner, reigniting the debate about having just “five strong” Test centres for home series, a proposal Virat Kohli made back in 2019. On Monday, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla explained the reasons behind the cricket board’s rotation policy in allotting matches to its affiliated units. Which side is Ashwin on?
The 38-year-old offered a balanced view. “Firstly, what are the benefits that Indian cricketers gain from having so many Test centres? (It’s that) you have cricketers who come and play Test cricket from every nook and corner of this country,” he said. “As for the weather and the kind of drainage we need to invest in, these are no-brainers. But having said all this, does it help a player if you have just a few Test centres? Most certainly it does.”
India’s next assignment is a three-Test series at home against New Zealand. A 2-0 clean sweep against Bangladesh has brought them closer to qualifying for the World Test Championship final. They lead the table with a percentage point of 74.24. Two more wins in the next eight Tests — against New Zealand and Australia — and India should be there.
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