Bangladesh in India, 2 Test Series, 2019
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Date: 22 November-24 November, 2019
RR: 4.73 | India beat Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs
Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper, says that he is amazed with the crowd participation in this match, especially today with the match not expected to last long. On the team's winning streak, Kohli says that when they go overseas, it is their belief that makes them win matches and it is their mindset which helps them and without that they cannot win. Goes on to say that Test cricket is a mental challenge and earlier they used to get hit but now they have learnt to give it back and it all started with Sourav Ganguly's team. Says that the Man of the Match was rightly given to a bowler as picking up nine wickets in India is not easy. On his batting, Kohli says that it is good to get runs and lead from the front.
Ishant Sharma is adjudged the Man of the Match and Series! Smiles and says that they are enjoying each other's success. On bowling from around the wicket to the left-handers and bringing the ball in, Ishant says that all the bowlers learned it in the last game and they showed it to Bharat Arun who said it was a fluke. Goes on to add that he bowled it in this game and got a wicket. On the pink ball, Ishant informs that it was not swinging much in the day but it happened a bit during the evening.
Mominul Haque, the Bangladesh skipper, says it is a concern that they were defeated in this manner and they are certainly disappointed with that. Says that the pink ball is different than the other balls and it is definitely a challenge to face these pink ones. Counts the performance of Ebadot Hossain along with Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das and Mahmudullah as the positives. Finishes off by saying that fielding first would not have made much of a difference as the pitch was a dry one.
Bharat Arun turns up for an interview now! Tells that the bowlers hunt as a pack and they take pride in each other's success. Adds that they work on the basics. Further says that they have an experienced bowling attack and they quickly adapt to the bowling conditions. On playing their next Test in New Zealand, Arun replies that playing there is going to be a big challenge and it is going to be fun.
The Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, is also down now for an interview along with the bowling coach Bharat Arun. Shastri is feeling proud as an Indian as they are dominating the game in the last few years. Further goes on to say that the players have discipline and they are hungry to win every game. States that there is no shortcut and they know that they have to put in the hard work on all the five days. On Bangladesh, Shastri tells that they are a very strong side back home but he feels they need more exposure. Mentions that they did miss the services of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. Advises them to work on their pace attack.
Sanjay Manjrekar is down for an interview with Wriddhiman Saha, the local lad. The wicketkeeper says that they have got excellent pace bowlers in the last 3-4 years and it is a challenge for him behind the wickets. Informs that the pink ball was doing a lot under lights. Mentions that while keeping to the fast bowlers, he just follows what he has learnt and watches the ball carefully till the last moment. He ranks Jasprit Bumrah as the no. 1 bowler followed by Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav.
Agreed it was always a mismatch against the mighty Indian team but the way Bangladesh surrendered without putting up a fight was disappointing. Skill to bat or bowl against quality opponents won't develop overnight but one can always show better application and temperament. The Bangla team should look at the way Mushfiqur Rahim gutted it out in the middle and learn from the best they have in the dressing room. Their bowling cannot be faulted much as they did bowl their hearts out and all their pacers were impressive in patches. They should be looked after well back home where Bangladesh only concentrate on making spinning decks and completely ignore the fast bowlers. You cannot expect them to turn up without much exposure overseas and deliver the goods. To win a Test match you need to pick 20 wickets and there has to be a proper balance between pace and spin in the bowling attack. Quicker they learn better it will be for them. Time for some interviews...
Bangladesh are yet to develop as a Test team, especially away from home. They have been abysmal over the years whenever touring and have always underperformed. For argument sake, one can point towards the absence of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan but the stats never lie and it tells that Bangladesh have been the same with them or without them in this format. Yes, they fight slightly better but that doesn't materialize into victory.
Fueled by the aggression of Sourav Ganguly and nurtured by the calmness of MS Dhoni, this Indian team has turned into a beast and Virat Kohli is not only the beneficiary but also the worthy leader of a unit playing a fiery brand of cricket. Over the years, India have produced many batting greats but were always short on quality in their bowling attack. There was a time they used to hunt for bowlers in domestic cricket who can bowl at a decent pace but time has changed and the last five years have seen the emergence of bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami. The resurgence of Ishant Sharma and the recent improvement shown by Umesh Yadav has further bolstered their bowling and the kind of impact they have started to make has made them one of the deadliest attacks in world cricket.
The historic and the maiden Day-Night Test in India took a little over two days to fetch us a result. As has been the case, it was a no match. Bangladesh were overwhelmed on the first day of the pink-ball Test. They were shot down for just 106 and from there on it was only catch up for them. The Indian batting didn't waste much time in adjusting to the 'alien conditions' and powered by Virat Kohli's century, they amassed a big first inning's lead. The story of Bangladesh's batting didn't change the second time around as well and apart from Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to an extent, no one showed the stomach for a fight. Ishant Sharma was the standout performer with the ball and finished with a 9-wicket haul in this Test while Umesh Yadav wasn't too far behind with 8 wickets.
A quick finish was expected on Day 3 and a quick finish it is! India have taken less than 10 overs to bundle out Bangladesh and win the series 2-0! Also, notably all the wickets in this Test match were taken by their pacers which in itself is amazing and shows the strength of their pace battery.
A fly slip comes into place now along with a fly gully.
Ishant Sharma is back on. We have a confirmation that Mahmudullah will not bat in this innings. So just one wicket left and both Umesh and Ishant would want to take that to complete their fifer. Good individual battle, this!
Abu Jayed is the new batsman.
Change of ends for Umesh Yadav.
Time for some spin! Ravindra Jadeja has been introduced into the attack.
Physio comes out. The mandatory concussion test is going on. Al-Amin Hossain appears to be fine to continue.
Al-Amin Hossain is in next.
Ishant Sharma to bowl from the other end. He is one shy of his second 10-wicket haul in Tests. Can he pick at least one from the remaining ones? Two slips and a gully in place. Rahim on strike...
Time to get going! Out come the two umpires followed by the Indian players. Mushfiqur Rahim takes the centre stage and he is joined by Ebadot Hossain in the middle. This means Mahmudullah has not yet recovered from his hamstring injury. Umesh Yadav to complete his unfinished over.
Pitch report - Sunil Gavaskar starts by saying that don't worry about the pitch and opines that Bangladesh are a very ordinary team with very ordinary application and they will struggle on most pitches regardless of the conditions and the colour of the ball. Deep Dasgupta points the landing area of the bowlers that required some repair work last evening but it's not required today which indicates that it's still a good wicket to bat on. The Little Master signs off by repeating that the surface doesn't matter much and this Test match will end sooner rather than later.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen on a Sunday afternoon for the last rites in this Test match. Just four wickets separate India from sending Bangladesh home empty handed and going by the way things have gone so far, we should be in for a quick finish. Having said that, Bangladesh fought quite bravely last evening and their first target will be to wipe off the current 89-run deficit and make the home team bat again. Mushfiqur Rahim is the last man standing for them and he will hope for some support from the remaining batsmen. Mahmudullah's fitness is still unknown and we will have to wait for any update. Stay tuned for more...
... DAY 3, SESSION 1 ...
Right then, it appears to be a matter of minutes on Sunday. Although as Rahane said in his post-match interview, cricket is a funny game and anything can happen. Keeping that in mind, we would not get too ahead of ourselves. Do join us at 1300 local (0730 GMT) for all the action. Cheers!
Yet another exciting day of Test cricket comes to a close. India inch closer to 2-0 and are just four wickets away from achieving it. Earlier in the day, their skipper notched up a fabulous century and entertained the crowd with his sumptuous shots. Later on, batting got tougher during the twilight period and at one stage they lost wickets in clumps. However, all that happened after they were on safer shores. Post that, Ishant Sharma bowled with a lot of fire and venom and along with Umesh Yadav decimated the Bangladeshi batting yet again. Sharma has now taken 9 wickets in the match and would be eyeing his second 10-wicket haul in Tests on Day 3.
Ajinkya Rahane is up for an interview. Says that it's been wonderful and he is glad to be a part of this historic Test match. Adds that once the lights are on, it becomes challenging for the batsmen and feels that the first session is best for batting as there isn't a lot of lateral movement. Tells that the twilight period has always been challenging and it becomes slightly easier in the third session due to the dew setting in. Mentions that as a batting unit you try to play positive cricket and then cash in later on. States that he is enjoying watching the pacers bowl from gully, both with the red ball and the pink one. On his dropped catches, Rahane replies that he has to take it in a positive way as it happens in cricket and attitude matters a lot after dropping a catch. Feels that they still have to come hard at Bangladesh and not look too far ahead as cricket is a funny game.
Bangladesh fought bravely in this session but they were already shot on the foot early on with the wickets of Mohammad Mithun and Imrul Kayes. Mushfiqur Rahim has led the charge with a fine knock and his partnership with Mahmudullah would have given some relief and sense of respect to the dressing room. They somewhat recovered from 13/4 but then the injury to Mahmudullah cut short their brief resistance. Still, it was a session full of runs as the touring party scored 145 runs in it at a brisk pace. Had their top order shown some resilience and skill, Bangladesh could have been in a fighting position heading into Day 3.
Umesh Yadav is brought back into the attack. This in all likelihood will be the last over of the day.
Mohammed Shami is back on.
Shout for an lbw! Rahim is hit in front of the wickets and the umpire raises his finger. The former Bangladesh skipper though is confident that he has hit it and the same comes in the replays also after he takes the DRS. Gloved it.
Will Mahmudullah come in next to bat? The answer is no. It's Taijul Islam who has come out to bat. He is one of the concussion substitutes in this game, if you remember.
Ishant Sharma is brought back into the attack. He bowled with a lot of fire in his initial spell and bagged a 3-fer. Can he add more to his tally?
Drinks. A good passage of play for Bangladesh although they are way behind in this Test match. Mahmudullah and Rahim arrested the early fall of wickets and constructed a partnership but the injury to the former cut short that period for the visiting team. The fight is on from the current pair and let's see whether Mehidy Hasan make any use of the life gifted to him by Rahane.
As expected, there is a bowling change. Ravichandran Ashwin to bowl with a slip and short leg in place.
Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin are warming up. We can see even Ravindra Jadeja going through the drills. Bowling change seems to be on the cards.
Slight halt in play yet again. This time one of the groundsmen is out with the sawdust. He is applying it on the bowler's landing area.
Mahmudullah is limping. He seems to have hurt his hamstrings while completing the last run. Physio has been summoned. Another stoppage in play. More bad news for Bangladesh - Mahmudullah is going off! The stand that was blossoming is cut short in an unfortunate manner. Mehidy Hasan is the new batsman. India have an opening again...
Run out appeal is referred upstairs. Outstanding work from the deep by Mayank Agarwal to come up with a direct hit. Time for the replays...
Rahim has been given out LBW! Rahim went for the run and has immediately reviewed it. The replays show that it was off the inside edge.
There is a slight halt in play as the umpires are going to have a look at the ball.
Time for the mandatory concussion check. This time it is Mushfiqur Rahim who has to go through the procedures. Ashwin asks him whether he is fine and he gives him a thumbs up. With that it is Drinks. A slightly better hour of play for Bangladesh as they lost two wickets pretty early on but have recovered well with the help of Rahim and Mahmudullah.
Umesh Yadav has a change of ends.
Mohammed Shami, the second innings specailist is into the attack.
A screaming appeal for Ishant Sharma! Not for the first time in this innings. Rahim is the batsman in question. He has missed his flick shot and is rapped on the pads. The appeal is not entertained and Virat Kohli has taken the DRS. Clipping or missing? The ball is moving a lot as well. Excellent decision by umpire Erasmus. It's missing the leg stump by a fair margin.
Mahmudullah is the next man in.
Ishant Sharma will continue from the other end. Can he add more wickets to his tally?
Mushfiqur Rahim is the new batsman. He is the most experienced campaigner of this team and needs to stand up for his team.
We're back for the final session of the second day which also could be the last day of this Test match. The way the pink ball is moving and the rhythm with which the Indian bowlers have bowled so far, it's pointing towards a quick finish. Will we get one? Umesh Yadav to steam in...
... DAY 2, THIRD SESSION ...
An excellent session of Test cricket. As soon as the new ball was taken during India's batting, the much-talked about pink ball started to show its magic. Virat Kohli decided to declare after a lead of 241. Having lost 4 wickets for 23 runs the movement of the pink ball under lights might have also played a part in his decision. It proved to be a good call as the new ball did move viciously for India as well. Ishant Sharma managed to get two wickets in the 5 overs they bowled and also scared the visitors with his sharp bouncers. Bangladesh have a mammoth task in hand as they are still staring down at a big deficit and have already lost Shadman Islam and skipper Mominul Haque. Can Bangladesh fight out the day/evening or will this be the last day of this historic Test? Join us after the break to find out.
Bang on the helmet! Yet another victim of concussion in this Test? Surely not. Bangladesh don't have enough batsmen left in their squad. The physio rushes out. The mandatory concussion test is going on. Mohammad Mithun is looking fine but then Liton Das was also fine when tested but later felt the effect on Day 1. They need to be careful here. An extended conversation is going on between Mithun, physio and the umpires. Maybe, the officials want the batsman to go off if he is feeling dazed and allow the match to resume. Decision is made. Mithun is staying. Around 3 minutes left on the clock for Tea.
DRS time yet again! Ishant Sharma roars in an appeal, he thinks he has trapped the striker in front. The umpire remains unmoved. Virat Kohli has a word with his bowler and then signals the T. Is it missing leg? Or clipping? Or hitting? The impact is in line but it's clipping the leg stump. Umpire's call.
Mohammad Mithun is the new man in. Can he open his account in Day-Night Tests?
Umesh Yadav to partner Ishant Sharma from the other end.
Skipper Mominul Haque walks in next at number 3. He bagged a duck in the first innings and will be nervous.
Huge shout for an lbw! The finger has gone up. Shadman Islam walks up to his partner and then signals for the referral. Looks like the impact is with the umpire's call. Let's find out in the replays. Wow! The impact is in line and it's clipping the off stump. First blood drawn. The crowd has gone bonkers.
That brings an end to this one-sided Test series. The number one Test team has extended their winning run in Tests to 7 (their best ever) and they are looking like an unstoppable unit. As far as the ICC World Test Championship is concerned, India now have 360 points and no other team is even close to them. They will now take a break in this format as their next assignment is in New Zealand in February. For now, the home side will get ready to host West Indies in white-ball cricket. Bangladesh will return home and will have to do a lot of soul-searching. We look forward to your company in future. Cheers!