In what will be remembered as one of the most extraordinary Test matches ever played, India clinched a remarkable seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh on the fifth day after lunch in Kanpur. With this triumph, the hosts secured a 2-0 win in the two-match Test series, notching their 18th consecutive series victory on home soil.
Faced with a modest target of 95 runs to chase, India’s approach mirrored their first-innings strategy. Rohit Sharma signaled intent with a boundary, but his innings was cut short by Mehidy Hasan as Bangladesh commenced their attack with spin from both ends. Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, rose to the occasion, smashing his second half-century of the game. Alongside Virat Kohli’s composed 29, Jaiswal did most of the scoring, although his dismissal came on the brink of victory. While a few deliveries exhibited low bounce, the low target posed little threat, and Bangladesh’s bowlers struggled to make an impact against India’s assertive batting.
The victory, which materialized in the second session of the final day, was fashioned by India’s dominant display over the previous sessions. The initial days of the Kanpur Test appeared as a slow-burn thriller lacking a twist, hampered by adverse weather conditions and a soggy outfield. Only 35 overs were bowled on the first day before play resumed on the fourth day with Bangladesh at 107/3 on a challenging pitch. While the black soil caused the ball to bounce low, the damp conditions allowed the pacers to extract significant movement. Spin was inevitably prominent as well.
Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl first seemed vindicated despite an irregular showing from Jasprit Bumrah and sporadic brilliance from Mohammad Siraj. Akash Deep’s pivotal strikes justified Sharma’s call at the toss as Ravichandran Ashwin spun magic with the ball. However, bad light and rain left a draw looking likely until India shifted gears, inducing Bangladesh into a self-destructive mode.
The fourth day dawned like any other regular Test match, and Mominul Haque appeared unfazed en route to his 13th Test century. His poise at the crease, however, lacked adequate support.
. Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim’s unwise decision to not offer a stroke against a sharp nip-backer from Bumrah marked India’s assertion. Bumrah returned to his best, and his pace attack was ably supported by the rest of the bowlers. This resulted in Bangladesh’s slide from 224/6 to 233 all out, providing the tonic India needed to press ahead and aim for maximum World Test Championship points.
India’s bowlers set the stage with a stellar performance on the fourth morning, but their batsmen took it up a notch in the afternoon. They played an unprecedented brand of T20-style cricket in a Test match on a pitch that wasn’t conducive to free strokeplay due to low bounce. Rohit Sharma sparkled with a cameo, but Jaiswal’s 72 off 51 balls accelerated India’s charge significantly. Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul contributed with similar intent, quickening the run rate to 8.22, a record at this level for a 200-plus score.
After declaring at 285/9, India sought early breakthroughs before stumps and managed two; Ashwin’s masterful deliveries outwitted opener Zakir Hasan and night-watchman Hasan Mahmud. Bangladesh began their second innings trying to recover a small deficit of 26 runs but faltered early. Mominul Haque fell to a cleverly contrived plan, triggering a collapse that saw Shadman Islam and others follow.
Shadman’s composed innings were ended by a poorly judged shot, ushering in another wave of dismissals by the relentless Akash Deep and others. A cascade of wickets put Bangladesh on the back foot at 94/7, and Bumrah swiftly wrapped up the tail, leaving Mushfiqur Rahim trying futilely to stave off defeat before the extended lunch break.
India’s charge to victory in chasing 95 points was spearheaded by Jaiswal, ensuring a swift conclusion to a game that will go down in history for India’s strategic brilliance and aggressive intent under testing conditions.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 233 and 146 (Shadman Islam 50, Mushfiqur Rahim 37; Jasprit Bumrah 3-17, Ravindra Jadeja 3-34) lost to India 285/9 decl. and 98/3 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 51; Mehidy Hasan 2-44) by seven wickets.