‘Outplayed’: After a fairytale high in Pakan, Bangladesh fall flat in India | Cricket News
Two weeks can at times feel like a year. Bangladesh had come to India on a high following their stunning 2-0 win over Pakan. They came with a good fast bowling unit with one bowler clocking 150 kph, two world-class all-rounders in Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz and a much-improved middle-order batting line-up. They indeed showed some fight in the opening two sessions at Chepauk but after that, it has been one-way traffic.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh surrendered meekly as India completed a comprehensive seven-wicket win in the second Test to take the series 2-0 at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. It was India’s 18th successive series win at home. The match was reduced to a three-day game after the second and third day of the Test had been washed out rain and a wet outfield and only 35 overs were possible on the opening day. However, Bangladesh still could not take the match into the final session, with India bundling them out for 146 in the morning before chasing down the paltry 95-run target after lunch.
Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe admitted that they were taken aback India’s approach on Day 4.
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Congratulations #TeamIndia on winning the #INDvBAN Test Series 2⃣-0⃣ 👏👏
Scorecard – https://t.co/JBVX2gyyPf@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/9kylO8ON67
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 1, 2024
“This approach was not seen before and we did not react quickly. We couldn’t react quickly enough. Credit to India and Rohit for their approach but the defeat has hurt us,” he told reporters.
Bangladesh lost eight wickets in the morning session. First-innings centurion Mominul was strangled down the leg-side R Ashwin with KL Rahul taking a sharp catch. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and opener Shadman Islam negotiated the early burst from Bumrah and Ashwin, adding 55 runs for the fourth wicket to give Bangladesh a glimmer of hope. But just after the drinks break after an hour of play on Day 5, the brain fade hit the Bangladesh batters. Najmul was cleaned up while trying to play a reverse sweep.
Once Jadeja broke the partnership dismissing Shanto for 19, everything fell apart for Bangladesh as they lost four wickets in three runs to go from 91-3 to 94-7. Shadman fell to Akash Deep for 50, while Jadeja removed Liton Das and Shakib Al Hasan in quick succession. Shakib combusted tamely, patting a regulation floater back to Jadeja. Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehedi Hasan Miraz added 24 runs before the latter got caught behind off Bumrah for nine. Taijul Islam was pinned Bumrah, and with just one wicket to go, the morning session got extended 30 minutes. Mushfiqur, who nearly took Bangladesh into the next session, was undone Bumrah in the final ball of the session.
Only Bumrah could have sensed that Mushfiqur would be gunning for a slog off the last ball and slipped in a slower ball; perhaps only Mushfiqur could have gone for such a shot off the last ball.
“We have not been performing well with the bat in the last few series’. The batting also depends on the quality of the opposition we are facing. India is the toughest to face and we know we are lacking but we are aware of it and we’ll improve,” said Hathurusinghe. “We were outplayed in the series. I came to India in 2017 and now in 2024, I can say how much improvement they have achieved. India has a proper system, Bangladesh also needs to put that in place.”
