India sealed a series sweep over Bangladesh on Tuesday despite over two and half days of the second Test being lost to bad weather; India set multiple Test batting records before securing a seven-wicket victory on the final day
Tuesday 1 October 2024 14:17, UK
India produced their own style of Bazball to claim a dramatic victory over Bangladesh in a weather-disrupted second Test and complete a 2-0 series sweep.
Only 35 overs were possible over the first three days because of rain or a wet outfield in Kanpur, with no play possible on days two or three, with a draw seeming the likely outcome until India produced a remarkable turnaround.
India had set up a late victory push when they declared on 285-9 inside 35 overs on day four, giving them a first-innings lead of 52, before dismissing the hosts for 146 to leave them chasing 95 to win the second Test.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (51) and Virat Kohli (29 not out) put on 58 off 67 balls for the third wicket, as India raced to their victory target in 17.2 overs to claim a seven-wicket win with just over a session to spare.
Skipper Rohit Sharma set the tone in the first innings by hitting the first two balls he faced for sixes as they passed Bangladesh's first-innings total in just 28 overs, reaching the 50, 100 and 200 marks in the fewest deliveries in Test history.
Bangladesh resumed the final day on 26-2, still trailing by 26 runs, with momentum pulling further into India's favour on the final morning when Ravindra Jadeja took 3-34 as they lost four wickets for three runs.
Opener Shadman Islam added 55 with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto for the fourth wicket, becoming the first Bangladesh player to score a Test half-century on Indian soil, although both fell in successive overs as they slumped from 91-3 to 94-7.
Mushfiqur Rahim (37) was the only other player to contribute but was bowled by Jasprit Bumrah (3-17) for the final wicket, with Ravichandran Ashwin claiming 3-50 as the visitors were dismissed before lunch.
India lost Sharma (eight) and Shubman Gill (six) cheaply to Mehidy Hasan Miraz (2-44) but had no major issues chasing down the target before tea, with Jaiswal smashing his second fifty of the Test and being named player of the match.
India captain Rohit Sharma: "Once we lost two and a half days, we wanted to get them out quickly on day four and see what we could do with the bat.
"It was about how many overs we needed in the second innings, which meant we had to try and up the run rate, scoring as many [runs] as possible quickly.
"This pitch didn't have a lot for the bowlers. To make a game of it then was a superb effort from the bowlers. And the batters of course, they bought into the mindset of attacking and getting runs as quickly as possible."
Ravichandran Ashwin, player of the series: "When we bowled them out yesterday a little after lunch [on day four], Rohit was very keen [to get a result]. He said we at least need 80 overs to bowl at them and the moment he came inside and gave that talk, we set the cat among the pigeons.
"It's not only him saying it but he went out there and hit his first [two balls] for a six. You set the tone that way, and obviously everybody follows on from there."
The two teams will now go head to head in a three-match T20 series, starting on Sunday in Gwalior, before India host a three-match Test series with India from October 16-20.
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