The final face-off for India in its quest for Bangladesh 10th wicket will be left for the fifth and final day and what better ball to seal the fate of Mushfiqur Rahim than one by Jasprit Bumrah. Even the long first session on the fifth day had already seen India piling relentless pressure with just one ball left-which came perfectly timed for Bumrah-and the bowler needed no more luck to time it to perfection.
Mushfiqur trying to push the ball for a sharp single to keep strike was completely taken in. The ball slipped through the gap between his bat and pad uprooting middle stump and leaving stunned Bangladesh batsman. That was the third wicket of the match, and with this Bangladesh collapse at 147.
After a superb day-four performance in which India successfully got rid of two Bangladeshi batsmen before stumps it was a morning session on day 5 where India showcased their bowling skills as eight wickets fell through the efforts of the Indian bowling unit to almost completely dismantle the batting lineup of Bangladesh. Both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were the first to put a stamp on India bowling attack by getting three wickets but the winning blow that sent the Bangladeshi innings to dust was Bumrah.
It was a closely contested match the extended lunch session, after being readjusted by half an hour had given the Indian bowlers that much time to complete the task of wrapping up Bangladesh’s innings pretty efficiently. Ashwin’s figures read 3/50, Jadeja 3/34 and Bumrah’s 3/17 the three underlined their collective dominance. Resuming their innings at a mere 26 for 2 the Bangladesh batsmen couldn’t cope with the pressure as they lost eight wickets for an additional 120 runs during that morning session.
Bangladesh made a meager total of just 146 in their second innings leaving India with a mere target of 95 runs in order to go home with the match and win the two-match series 2-0. For most parts of the game the Bangladeshi batsmen had been under pressure from India formidable bowling attack.
Over-night batting, Shadman Islam turned out to be the best run-scorer of Bangladesh for the second innings adding a valiant 50. His effort was commendable, but too little too late in terms of pushing his team towards a competitive total. Not to forget, the spinners of India, Ashwin and Jadeja besides Bumrah crucial pace deterred the Bangladeshi side.
Bangladesh had scored 233 runs in the first inning which would ultimately prove to be insufficient as India continued to bat aggressively while keeping their bowling disciplined. They batted with a decisive intent declaring their innings at 285 for 9 after a pretty quick declaration which showcased their batting depth and their intent of taking complete control over the game. Indian batsmen built on those opportunities, cashed Bangladesh bowlers and created a huge lead.
Jasprit Bumrah uproots Mushfiqur Rahim middle stump
As India closed in to claim the final wicket of Bangladesh on a prolonged first session Jasprit Bumrah stunned Mushfiqur Rahim to leave the batsman completely outplayed. As the likes of Bumrah created a piece of exceptional skill and precision to end innings, India efforts to wind up the innings only built on the momentum generated in their favor at that moment in time.
Mushfiqur looking for a single to carry over to the next over misread Bumrah slower ball. The ball slipped past the gap between the bat and pad. He fell to the middle stump as the umpire raised his finger. It was Bumrah third wicket in the game and a crucial one that brought a huge imbalance in the Bangladeshi batting order.
Though India has already sealed a win in the two-match Test series after the first Test, it would mean an easy 2-0 clean sweep if it succeeds today. Such a result would not only boost the team confidence but also give it tremendous momentum before hitting a daunting Test schedule later. The morale enhancement from a series win would be priceless going by the tough matches scheduled later.
There was also a heightened context of the match. Indians were looking for a good match after weather played spoilsport in the earlier matches of the series. Therefore, they were looking to assert their supremacy over Bangladesh and the bowling unit, led by Bumrah was simply sensational. The team strategic approach in the field was also well portrayed. Each time the wicket fell it was a testimony to their preparation as much as execution and clearly showed them not looking for a win but a convincingly one.
Indian bowlers kept poking Bangladesh batsmen in the subsequent overs not giving them much opportunity to make some quick runs on weaknesses. A Bumrah delivery to Mushfiqur was an excellent example of mixing the pace and keeping the batsman on the back foot. Such display is crucial in Test cricket. where patience and skill can very often be the difference between teams.
In the batting the Kohli and Jaiswal combination presented an interesting dynamic at the crease. Kohli was expected to shepherd the young opener and guide him through the chase anchoring as he has done so many times before. Aggression would be Jaiswal hallmark playing style as he attempted to dominate the bowlers and push his score along. It would be crucial that their partnership would set a steady course towards victory.
Being on the series available for the teams to play each knew exactly what this contest meant. India behind their successes was determined to entrench themselves in the world of cricket. For Bangladesh, it is a last stand to fight for non-whitewash and take away some good from this experience.
As the match progressed the game saw stiff electrifying activity. The high-quality cricket was enjoyed by the fans as both teams showed off their strengths and strategies of playing. It would be ultimately to be played in the hands of bowler Bumrah and subsequent batting performance at stake, and everybody eye was fixed on the players who battled it out on the field.
The match, however, had its turning point in Jasprit Bumrah over to Mushfiqur Rahim and it came after India went in search of securing yet another series win. Indian team was in a very good position till Kohli and Jaiswal, and it looked that the Indians would seal it 2-0. which would give them great optimism going into a challenging Test series. This was a match that had too many sparks of cricketing-excitement-a cricket match in which every delivery and every partnership seemed to change the game.
Bowlers Rule Roost As India Complete Series Sweep Against Bangladesh
Ravichandran Ashwin set the tone for Indian dominance Ravindra Jadeja dismantled the Bangladeshi batting lineup and Jasprit Bumrah delivered the coup de grâce as India came out with a resounding seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the second Test. That Kanpur win on 1st October 2024 enabled India to achieve a record-extending 18th series win on home soil. Despite the Indian team having endured more than 200 overs being washed away by rains, they really showed something special and further increased their percentage points lead in the WTC, 74.24 percentage points.
Bangladesh went into the final day with a hope of showing their mettle and staying intact to save a draw but Bangladesh batting just capitulated as they were all out at a miserable total of 146 runs. Resuming the day at 26 for 2, it has been relentless pressure on the visitors from the Indian bowlers. Bumrah was razor-sharp with figures of 3 for 17 in 10 overs. while Ashwin and Jadeja chipped in with 3 for 50 and 3 for 34, respectively. Together they have orchestrated a bowling display that has left the Bangladesh batsmen struggling to cope.
Indian batsmen hardly took much time to achieve the target of 95 runs this was required to be chased down in 17.2 overs. Player of the Match was given to Yashasvi Jaiswal for playing an important role by scoring 51 runs; this was his second half-century of the match.
For Bangladesh it was opener Shadman Islam who withstood somewhat, scoring 50. Former captain Mushfiqur Rahim was good for 37 but the lower half of the batting folded under pressure from Indian bowlers. A particular moment arrived when Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto tried to play a rash reverse sweep off Jadeja, a pretty poor shot choice that turned out to be the point where India found its ease to access all it needed.
Very early in the session Indian bowlers seized the opportunity arising out of this blunder. Ashwin sent first-innings centurion Mominul Haque back into the pavilion soon after play resumed with his nightmare for six overs continuing after resumption of play from last session. This created the platform for Jadeja to go through the middle order and take the wickets of Shanto, Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan. who did not even get a ball to face.
India had taken a 52-run first-innings lead into the chase, losing early wickets to Mehidy Hasan Miraz off-spin as they lost Rohit Sharma to 8 and Shubman Gill to 6. Kohli and Jaiswal steadied the innings with a 58-run partnership for the third wicket with experience to Kohli name keeping the innings going on while Jaiswal played with maturity and took the team home. Jaiswal tried to get runs in as aggressive a manner he could. He gave a catch to Shakib at the extra cover field with three runs left in the game. All was then lost for India as Rishabh Pant sealed the win with a boundary off Taijul Islam.
