Bowlers deliver resounding win for India
It took its time coming, and at various points it looked like Bangladesh might pull off the unthinkable, but India’s winning run continued by one more Test on the fifth afternoon of the one-off Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
August 15, 2015. Galle. That was when India lost its way from an excellent position to concede the first Test to Sri Lanka, though it went on to win the three-Test series. Since that loss, India had gone 18 without a defeat – 14 of them victories – before this one. That W-D-L record now stands at 15-4-0 from 19 Tests. India is the No. 1 Test team in the world by right, after all.
Starting the day on 103 for 3 in an improbable chase of 459, the Bangladesh batsmen showed plenty of stomach for a scrap, putting in decent periods of resistance all the way. But it was always going to be a matter of time, a matter of seven good balls. Between them, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Ishant Sharma bowled those to stop the visitors on Monday (February 13) at 250 after 100.3 overs of bowling. The result: India victory by 208 runs.
The day started with Jadeja doing exactly what one would expect of him against a left-hand batsman with some rough available outside the off-stump. Hitting the scuff created by five fast bowlers over four days, Jadeja got it to spring on Shakib Al Hasan, who really didn’t have an option apart from fending it to Cheteshwar Pujara at forward short-leg. It was the third over of the day; Shakib had moved from 21 to 22 and Bangladesh to 106, when it was left with just six wickets to negotiate almost the full day.
Unfortunately for India, which didn’t have a leg-spin option and had carved its way through all the left-handers in the Bangladesh top order, the rough went out of the equation to a large extent after that. And there was still little in the pitch, even on the final day. As a result, Mahmudullah, starting the day on nine, and Mushfiqur Rahim went on relatively unperturbed for 15 overs till a momentary lapse in sense led to Rahim’s downfall.
Virat Kohli was at his imaginative best – swapping his bowlers, pushing in the catchers, and even employing three fielders for the flick and the fend between short square-leg and short mid-wicket at one stage for Umesh Yadav. Maybe he was switching it all around a bit too breathlessly, not giving his bowlers enough time to work with the fields, but he couldn’t be blamed for not trying. None of it worked for a while, though, Rahim even bringing out the big pull to send Ishant over the fine-leg boundary.
Mahmudullah, under pressure after a series of low scores, chose to play the way he felt was best – leaving what he could, defending what he needed to, and sending the hit-mes to the fence. He wasn’t untroubled, but looked unfazed. The same with Rahim, the star of Bangladesh’s first-innings resistance when he scored 127 in six-and-a-half hours. Enter Ashwin, and one wonders what the plan on a still-unresponsive pitch was, because Rahim pretty much threw his wicket away. Third ball of the over, Rahim stepped out, connected well with the cover-drive and got four. Next ball, he rushed out again. Ashwin, not in a position to rely on turn, pulled back the length with a little dip, and Rahim could only mishit for Jadeja to take a simple catch at cover to walk back for 23 from 44 balls.
After that, it was always going to be a matter of time, even though Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman bedded down for the long haul, continuing to play their shots, but only when they were sure they could. Even though crease occupation was priority, Mahmudullah got to his first Test half-century since July 2015, when he made 67 against South Africa in the Chittagong Test, and Sabbir also got to 18 by lunch without much fuss, Bangladesh adding 99 runs in the session. But crucially, it had lost the two most experienced men in its ranks – Shakib and Rahim – along the way.
With Ashwin and Jadeja hitting excellent lines and length and Umesh and Ishant providing the occasional burst, though, the end didn’t seem too far away.
It was Ishant next. India was out of reviews but Ishant didn’t need one. It pitched on length, moved in a bit, and Sabbir missed the line altogether to be rapped on the pads. He must have known he was a goner after scoring 22 in 61 balls, with three fours and a six over long-on off Jadeja, but decided to try his luck anyway by opting for a review. Replays showed the ball missing the bat by a long way and heading midway up the middle stump.
Back to Jadeja then, and Wriddhiman Saha failed to collect an excellent delivery with Mahmudullah out of his crease. Opportunity lost. Ishant profited, getting a short delivery to zone in towards the body, and Mahmudullah’s pull was only top-edged to Bhuvneshwar Kumar at fine-leg. He got past 50 after six Tests, but the 64 in 149 balls was too few from the Bangladesh point of view.
Ishant, who was threatening with movement both ways at that stage, could have had his third for the innings, but M Vijay dropped a dolly at first slip off Mehedi Hasan. And the resistance continued with Mehedi, the No. 8 who had scored a fighting half-century in the first innings, and Kamrul Islam Rabbi, the No. 9, sticking it out for almost another hour before Jadeja was at it again, getting one to turn and bounce more than the batsman anticipated, Saha not making a mistake with the catch off Mehedi’s glove.
As the bowlers were rotated after two-three over bursts and the number of men around the bat kept increasing, Jadeja got Taijul Islam to send a pull straight up. Vijay and KL Rahul, the two in close around forward short-leg, almost got in each other’s way before Rahul clung on.
It ended when Ashwin trapped Taskin Ahmed right in front of the stumps when play for the session was extended after the fall of the ninth wicket. The umpires weren’t sure and double-checked, Kohli asked for a review anyway, and Taskin was sent on his way, signalling the end of a most interesting Test match. That made it 4 for 73 for Ashwin to go with Jadeja’s 4 for 78 and Ishant’s 2 for 40.
India was the deserving winner of a game it controlled for the most part. Bangladesh, first-time tourist to this part of the world, was far from disgraced by putting up a most impressive show.
