India’s bold strategy of chasing a quick victory in the rain-affected second Test against Bangladesh paid off as they secured a dramatic win in Kanpur on Tuesday (October 1, 2024). Despite losing two full days due to a wet outfield, India managed to pull off a comfortable victory on day five.
After bowling out Bangladesh for 233, India adopted an aggressive approach, smashing 285 runs in just 34.4 overs before declaring their first innings. Having lost two batters overnight, Bangladesh were bowled out in their second innings at the stroke of lunch, allowing India to end the game in the second session.
“Once we lost two and a half days, when we came on day 4 we wanted to get them out as quickly as possible and see what we can do with the bat,” said India captain Rohit Sharma after the match. “When they got bowled out for 230, it wasn’t about the runs we get but the overs we got at them.”
Sharma praised the relentless effort of Akash Deep, who made his Test debut in the match. “He’s been good,” said Sharma. “He has played a lot of domestic cricket and has the quality and skill. He also has a good body and can bowl long spells.”
The victory was India’s 18th consecutive series win at home, extending their impressive record. Gautam Gambhir, who took over as head coach after Rahul Dravid, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “We had a fantastic time with Dravid, but life moves on,” said Gambhir. “I’ve played with Gautam Gambhir and know what sort of mindset he comes in with.”
Ashwin was named player of the series for his all-round performance. He rated the improbable win as “massive” in the context of the World Test Championship. “When we bowled them out yesterday, it was little after lunch,” said Ashwin. “Rohit was keen that we needed 80 overs to bowl at them. And the moment he came inside out and gave that talk where we’re going to go after it even if we get out under 230, it set the tone.”
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hasan Shanto acknowledged that his team’s batting let them down in both Tests. “In these conditions, we need to bat well,” said Shanto. “We played 30-40 balls and got out. It’s important in a Test match to score big runs.”
