Nearly three days of play were lost to rain and a wet outfield, but that didn’t dampen India’s spirit as they went for the kill and secured a famous seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in Kanpur, sealing the series 2-0. India bowled brilliantly to restrict Bangladesh to a modest total of 146. Chasing 95 was always expected to be a straightforward task for Team India. Although they lost Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill early, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sparkling fifty helped India chase down the target with ease.
From the position they were in yesterday, it was always going to be India’s Test to lose. Starting the day, a combination of Ravichandran Ashwin’s mastery and Rohit Sharma’s sharp field placements led to Mominul Haque’s dismissal. He was out trying to play a fine sweep—a shot that had brought him plenty of runs in the first innings. Once the centurion from the first innings fell, opener Shadman Islam took charge, batting beautifully in the first hour of play on Day 5. His decisive footwork and elegant strokes, particularly against Ashwin, were the highlights of his 50-run innings. Not only did he play attractive shots, but he also looked solid in defence and left the ball well.
At the other end, Najmul Hossain Shanto appeared comfortable until drinks were called. However, after the break, Ravindra Jadeja came on and triggered a collapse. He first dismissed Shanto, who played a poor shot to get out. Bangladesh collapsed from 91/3 to 94/7, with Jadeja taking three wickets and Akash Deep accounting for Shadman. The collapse resulted from a combination of tight bowling, assistance from the pitch, and Bangladesh’s tendency to play false shots.
India is always a tough place for visiting teams, especially when batting on Day 4 or 5, but with the right approach and shot selection, runs can be scored on slow pitches like this. India had shown Bangladesh how it could be done in their first innings, but the visitors didn’t take cues from them. Mushfiqur Rahim fought a lone battle, batting with the tail to give his team something to fight with. It wouldn’t be wrong to say the last-wicket partnership frustrated the Indians in the final half-hour of the extended first session. Jasprit Bumrah, who had gone wicketless in his first spell before drinks, finished the session with three wickets. Given the slow pitch, Bumrah used his off-cutters effectively to claim the last two wickets.
Brief Scores: India 285/9 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 72; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4/41) & 98/3 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 51; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2/44) vs Bangladesh 233/10 (Mominul Haque 107*; Jasprit Bumrah 3-50) & 146/10 (Shadman Islam 50; Jasprit Bumrah 3/17). India won by seven wickets.