On a decisive morning in Kanpur, India moved significantly closer to securing a victory in the second Test against Bangladesh. The fifth morning of play witnessed a dramatic collapse from the visitors, who, in just under three hours, lost their remaining eight wickets, leaving India with a manageable target of 95 runs to clinch the match.
The destruction was spearheaded by India’s bowling maestros, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, both of whom claimed three wickets each, with Bumrah delivering with figures of 3 for 17 and Jadeja starving the opposition with 3 for 50. However, their efforts were unquestionably compounded by a series of poor shot selections from the Bangladeshi batsmen. Beyond the resistance shown by Shadman Islam, who scored a gritty 50, and Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 37, the rest of the batting lineup seemed disinterested in mounting any serious defense.
Bangladesh began the day with a slim deficit of 26 runs, their primary objective undoubtedly being to tiptoe into a lead without losing a wicket. Alas, that plan unraveled early when first-innings centurion Mominul Haque succumbed to a strategic trap orchestrated by Rohit Sharma and his team. Known for his penchant for playing the sweep shot, Mominul found himself ensnared by a field set with a leg slip. Attempting a hard sweep, he misjudged it, sending the ball straight to KL Rahul at leg slip off a ball from Ravichandran Ashwin. This breakthrough was a significant setback, albeit not entirely unexpected, but Bangladesh rallied momentarily.
Shadman Islam, having weathered the initial storm, displayed commendable batting prowess. With a fluid approach, he struck multiple boundaries with impeccable timing and showed defensive resilience when required. His partner at the crease, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, appeared to find his footing as they cobbled together a partnership that briefly held off the impending disaster.
In a turn of events resembling the calm preceding a tempest, Ravindra Jadeja was introduced into the attack.
. Shanto, succumbing to pressure, attempted an ill-fated reverse sweep, resulting in his stumps being rearranged, a shot choice characterized by high risk that ultimately led to his downfall. This dismissal ignited a rapid sequence of events as Bangladesh’s innings spiraled out of control; Jadeja proceeded to dismiss Litton Das with a brilliant delivery, followed by a soft dismissal from Shakib Al Hasan, who handed back a simple return catch.
Shadman, having reached his half-century, couldn’t resist a loose shot that played him into Akash Deep’s relentless pace. In quick succession, the score tumbled from 91 for 3 to a precarious 94 for 7, with India exuding dominance and decisively shifting the momentum in their favor. Bumrah, making light work of the lower order, sent Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam packing in consecutive balls, sealing Bangladesh’s fate.
Mushfiqur Rahim, amid the chaos, valiantly attempted to weather the storm, attempting to extend the innings by negotiating the strike alongside last man Khaled Ahmed. Nonetheless, with the ninth wicket tumbling right before the scheduled lunch break, the session was extended by a maximum of 30 minutes. Rahim worked diligently to inch closer to safety until the brink of noon, only to be undone by a sublime delivery from Bumrah – an off-cutter that perplexed Rahim and caught him attempting an injudicious drive.
This final blow fittingly concluded a session dominated by India, placing them firmly in the driver’s seat, poised to conclude the match with only winning formalities remaining. Such a collective effort has set them up nicely to reach a promising end to the Test match in Kanpur.
India now stands on the cusp of what seems like an inevitable victory thanks to the proficient performance of its bowlers and a collapse from Bangladesh that seemingly hastened its own downfall, illustrating a clear gap between the sides in this contest.
Brief scores recount: Bangladesh 233 and 146 (Shadman Islam 50, Mushfiqur Rahim 37; Jasprit Bumrah 3-17, Ravindra Jadeja 3-34) after India declared at 285 for 9 (with contributions from Yashasvi Jaiswal 72 and KL Rahul 68, amidst disciplined bowling by Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan with figures of 4 each). Bangladesh leads by a mere 94 runs as India gears up to seal the series in style.