In what will be chronicled as one of cricket’s most extraordinary Test matches, India clinched a convincing seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh on the concluding day following lunch in Kanpur. This triumph secured the hosts a 2-0 win in the two-match Test series, marking their 18th consecutive series victory at home. With a relatively easy target of 95 runs set before them, India’s game plan remained unchanged from their first innings performance. Rohit Sharma initiated the chase with a boundary but soon succumbed to Mehidy Hasan, as Bangladesh opted to deploy spin from both ends. Nevertheless, Yashasvi Jaiswal (51) played a pivotal role by smashing his second fifty of the match, with Virat Kohli (29) contributing significantly to the scoreboard, despite Jaiswal’s dismissal just shy of the target. Despite the occasional ball keeping low, India’s formidable batting lineup left Bangladesh’s bowlers with little room for maneuver. Although the win came during the second session of the final day, it was the strategic gameplay over the preceding four sessions that truly defined the match.
The first three days of the Kanpur Test resembled a slow-developing thriller devoid of any dramatic twists, hampered as they were by unfavorable weather and a sluggish outfield. Only 35 overs were bowled on the first day, the sole cricket action witnessed until play could resume on the fourth day. Bangladesh found themselves at 107/3 on a pitch posing unpredictability. The black soil of the surface led to low bounce, but the moist conditions and cloudy skies also allowed the pacers to exploit extravagant movement, making spin as inescapable as ever.
This perhaps justified Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl upon winning the toss, though the bowlers weren’t collectively effective during the initial 35 overs. Jasprit Bumrah had a notably off day, with Mohammed Siraj showing only intermittent promise. It was Akash Deep’s dual strikes that vindicated Rohit’s decision to field first, though Ravichandran Ashwin managed to make the ball talk quite a bit. However, the bad light on day one followed by the rain-damp outfield suggested that a draw was the more likely outcome—until India hit their top gear, spurring Bangladesh into a downward spiral of their own making.
The fourth day began like any other in Test cricket, with Mominul Haque smoothly making his way to his 13th Test century. The left-hander batted with poise, comfortably placed at the crease, but lacked significant support from his teammates. Master batsman Mushfiqur Rahim’s puzzling dismissal—where he misjudged a Jasprit Bumrah delivery—set India’s momentum in motion. Bumrah was back to his best, inspiring his fellow bowlers to chip in as Bangladesh descended from 224-6 to an eventual collapse at 233 all out. This spectacular fall was the perfect catalyst for India as they aggressively pursued maximum World Test Championship points from the game.
If India’s bowlers were commendable on the fourth morning, their batters elevated the show in the afternoon. Rohit’s squad performed with a level of aggression characteristic of T20 cricket, a rare occurrence in Test format, particularly on a surface where stroke play was exceptionally challenging due to the low bounce. Sharma led with a quick cameo, while Jaiswal played a headline-catching 51-ball 72. As Mehidy Hasan later confessed in the press conference after the fourth day, this aggressive approach frazzled Bangladesh’s bowlers.
. Shubman Gill (39) and Virat Kohli (47) played with similar intensity, while KL Rahul (68) managed the assault towards the end with his dynamic batting style. Statistically, India faced 238 fewer deliveries than Bangladesh, nonetheless, they concluded with a 52-run lead. India’s outstanding run rate of 8.22 stood as a record for a team scoring over 200 in Test cricket, shattering many records including the quickest 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 in Test history.
Declaring with nine wickets down, India made use of the remaining time before stumps to claim two wickets, courtesy of Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner outsmarted opener Zakir Hasan with a clever blend of sliders and off-breaks, claiming him LBW. Shortly after, nightwatchman Hasan Mahmud succumbed to an ill-advised slog, bowled out, giving India a fitting end to the day’s play.
Come the final day, Bangladesh, trailing by a mere 26 runs, would’ve ideally liked to take the lead without losing early wickets. However, that hope crumbled when Mominul was caught up in a carefully orchestrated plan by Sharma and his team, who were well aware of his sweeping habit. Smarter field positioning forced Mominul into a mistake, brilliantly snapped up at leg slip by KL Rahul off Ashwin’s craftiness. Shadman Islam, however, showed positive intent with crisp boundary hitting. He was diligent in defense, leaving deliveries outside off-stump untouched, while making the most of anything off target. Meanwhile, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto also found his groove, as the duo managed to forge a fifty-run partnership, keeping Bangladesh’s flickering hopes alive.
Feeling the momentum shift, skipper Rohit introduced Ravindra Jadeja into the attack with immediate effect, as Jadeja struck in his first over, encompassing Shanto in a poorly judged reverse sweep leading to his dismissal. It spelled disaster for Bangladesh, as seasoned campaigners like Litton Das edged one to the wicketkeeper off the very next moment, with Shakib Al Hasan following shortly in a similar fashion due to a reckless shot, caught effortlessly by the bowler. Shadman fell subsequent to reaching his fifty, thanks to yet another rash stroke against the relentless Akash Deep. India, now charged, tore through the Bangladesh lineup, who from a modest 91/3 sunk to 94/7 amid India’s ferocity.
Jasprit Bumrah extinguished the tailend threat by toppling Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam one delivery after another. Rahim persevered, extracting the strike with last man Khaled Ahmed, yet his resilience only delayed the inevitable as Bumrah executed a signature delivery right before the extended lunch, sealing Bangladesh’s fate.
With a target of just 95, it was only ever a question of when, not if, India would clinch the win. Jaiswal ensured that the job was completed swiftly, capping an indelible victory for India. Factors like the weaker adversary and familiar home conditions could potentially downplay the victory’s gravity, but India’s relentless intent to emerge victorious, despite the constraints, etches this result memorably into the annals of cricket history.
Brief scores: Bangladesh recorded 233 and 146 (Shadman Islam with 50 and Mushfiqur Rahim with 37 runs; Jasprit Bumrah took 3-17, Ravindra Jadeja claimed 3-34) fell to India’s score of 285/9 declared and 98/3 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 51; Mehidy Hasan 2-44) by seven wickets.