KANPUR: Records tumbled as India launched a batting blitz to overtake Bangladesh’s first innings total of 233 in 28 overs, injecting fresh life into the rain-marred second test in Kanpur on Monday.

On a frenetic day four, Rohit Sharma’s men quickly bowled out Bangladesh and then unleashed batting mayhem at Green Park scoring at a rate unprecedented in Test cricket.

India reached 50 runs in three overs, 100 in 10.1 and 200 in 24.2 — the fastest ever by a Test team — in their bid to force a result in a Test which has lost more than two days’ play to bad weather.

The hosts eventually declared at 285-9 and then reduced Bangladesh to 26-2 at stumps chasing victory in a match that seemed destined for a dull draw.

“That was our message this morning, you know, with losing two days of the match... that positive intent was going to be key,” India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel told reporters.

“I thought the way the boys went up with the ball upfront was incredible to see. To show the intent with the bat was awesome,” he added. “Our game plan was to see how can we get the winning result.”

The former South African fast bowler said the crowds loved the batting show, which had “the T20 feel about it”.

Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan Riaz said, “They [India] played to a plan and I was surprised. But after two to three overs we knew their plan and we played to our strength. Just tried to do some damage to their innings.”

Indian off-spinner Ravicha­ndran Ashwin claimed the wickets of Zakir Hasan and Hasan Mahmud in his successive overs.

Shadman Islam was batting on seven at stumps while Mominul Haque was yet to open his account with Bangladesh still 26 behind.

Earlier, Mominul was left stranded on 107 not out as the bottom half of the Bangladesh order caved in easily after they resumed on the opening day’s score of 107-3.

Mushfiqur Rahim (11) shoulder-armed to an incoming ball from Jasprit Bumrah (3-50) only to hear the sound of the ball crashing onto his stumps.

India’s superb catching led to the next two dismissals.

Captain Rohit leapt at mid-off to grab a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Litton Das (13) and Mohammed Siraj plucked a tumbling, one-handed catch to remove Shakib Al Hasan.

Mominul’s 13th Test hundred included 17 fours and a six.

Ravindra Jadeja, with his slow left-arm orthodox spin, took the final Bangladesh wicket of Khaled Ahmed, caught and bowled, to reach 300 Test wickets in his 74th match.

The all-rounder became the seventh Indian bowler to reach 300 on a list headed by former Test leg-spinner Anil Kumble (619).

“It’s special,” said Jadeja. “I’ve been playing Test cricket 10 years and I’ve finally reached this milestone. Feeling proud of myself.”

It then rained fours and sixes when India came out to bat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (72) smashed Hasan Mahmud for three fours in a row in the first over to signal their intent.

Rohit (23) at the other end dealt in sixes, hitting three of them in the first five deliveries he faced.

Mehidy cut short Rohit’s stay but Jaiswal, ably supported by Shubman Gill (39) at the other end, raced to a 31-ball half-century.

Jaiswal, Gill and Rishabh Pant fell trying to sustain their break-neck batting but India did not take their foot off the pedal.

K.L. Rahul (68) and Virat Kohli (47) maintained the tempo and even tailender Akash Deep smashed two sixes before Rohit declared the innings.

India won the opening Test in Chennai comprehensively and a draw here would secure their 18th consecutive Test series victory on home soil.

SCOREBOARD

BANGLADESH (1st Innings):

Zakir Hasan c Jaiswal b Deep 0

Shadman Islam lbw Deep 24

Mominul Haque not out 107

Najmul Hossain lbw Ashwin 31

Mushfiqur Rahim b Bumrah 11

Liton Das c Sharma b Siraj 13

Shakib Al Hasan c Siraj b Ashwin 9

Mehidy Hasan c Gill b Bumrah 20

Taijul Islam b Bumrah 5

Hasan Mahmud lbw Siraj 1

Khaled Ahmed c&b Jadeja 0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-6, NB-2, ) 12

TOTAL (all out, 74.2 overs) 233

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-26 (Zakir), 2-29 (Shadman), 3-80 (Najmul), 4-112 (Mushfiqur), 5-148 (Liton), 6-170 (Shakib), 7-224 (Mehidy), 8-230 (Taijul), 9-231 (Hasan)

BOWLING: Bumrah 18-7-50-3, Siraj 17-2-57-2, Ashwin 15-1-45-2, Deep 15-6-43-2 (2nb), Jadeja 9.2-0-28-1

INDIA (1st Innings):

Y. Jaiswal b Hasan 72

R. Sharma b Mehidy 23

S. Gill c Hasan b Shakib 39

R. Pant c Hasan b Shakib 9

V. Kohli b Shakib 47

K.L. Rahul st Liton b Mehidy 68

R. Jadeja c Najmul b Mehidy 8

R. Ashwin b Shakib 1

A. Deep c Khaled b Mehidy 12

J. Bumrah not out 1

EXTRAS (B-3, NB-2) 5

TOTAL (for nine wickets, decl, 34.4 overs) 285

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-55 (Sharma), 2-127 (Jaiswal), 3-141 (Gill), 4-159 (Pant), 5-246 (Kohli), 6-269 (Jadeja), 7-272 (Ashwin), 8-284 (Rahul), 9-285 (Deep)

DID NOT BAT: M. Siraj

BOWLING: Hasan 6-0-66-1 (1nb), Khaled 4-0-43-0 (1nb), Mehidy 6.4-0-41-4, Taijul 7-0-54-0, Shakib 11-0-78-4

BANGLADESH (2nd Innings):

Shadman Islam not out 7

Zakir Hasan lbw Ashwin 10

Hasan Mahmud b Ashwin 4

Mominul Haque not out 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4) 5

TOTAL (for two wickets, 11 overs) 26

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-18 (Zakir), 2-26 (Hasan)

STILL TO BAT: Najmul Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Khaled Ahmed, Taijul Islam

BOWLING: Bumrah 3-1-3-0, Ashwin 5-2-14-2, Deep 3-2-4-0

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024