India complete formalities in 47 minutes, record 12th successive series win at home

25 Nov 2019 10:09 AM | Sports
393 Report

An untested pink ball was not able to reduce the glaring gulf between the two teams as India bulldozed Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in their first ever day-night Test to record their 12th home series win in a row.

With Bangladesh resuming their second innings at 152 for six on day three and trailing India by 89 runs, it was simply a matter of time for the home team to complete formalities.
The Virat Kohli-led side eventually completed the job in less than 50 minutes for their fourth straight innings victory, becoming the first team to achieve the feat.
Barring Mushfiqur Rahim (74), Bangladesh batsmen were once again found wanting against high quality pace bowling, folding up for 195 in 41.1 overs. They were bowled out for 130 on day one.
For the second time in the series, the match finished well inside three days. India had hammered Bangladesh by an innings and 130 runs in the series-opener in Indore.
With the resounding win, India also extended their lead in the World Test Championship by collecting 120 points from the two-match series, taking their overall tally to 360 from seven games.
"Only your belief can make you win. With the way these guys (pacers) are bowling now, they can pick up wickets anywhere. Even the spinners. These guys are very hungry and I feel we are in the right kind of space and everyone is enjoying playing in this team," said Kohli at the post-match presentation.
Resuming on 59 with the team's score of 152/6, Mushfiqur batted in aggressive fashion, smashing Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja for two boundaries each in their respective overs.
Umesh Yadav brought an end to Mushfiqur's innings when he mistimed a hit, which was taken easily by Ravindra Jadeja. Mushfiqur's valiant innings had 16 boundaries in it.
Retired hurt on 39, Mahamudllah did not come to bat as India sealed the victory in style with Yadav (5/53) having Al-Amin Hossain caught behind.
Yadav finished with a match haul of 8/81, while Shami had a terrorising effect despite taking just 2/36 in the first innings.
Ishant looked unplayable with his inswing and the legcutter-like delivery that he finished with a match haul of 9/78 wickets including 4/56 in the second innings.
Eden Gardens played the perfect host for the historic game with packed crowds on all three days bringing back memories of the times when Test cricket was more popular. However, the lack of competition on the field was nowhere close to the hype surrounding the game.
The SG pink ball, which had not been tested in a competitive game before the big game, expectedly assisted India's lethal pace attack which took all wickets on offer, the most by fast bowlers in a home game.
An evidence of their menacing form was that four of Bangladesh batsmen received heavy blows and the team was forced to use two concussions subs. The frequent hits on the helmet also raised questions over the visibility of the pink ball, especially in the twilight period.
The game will also be remembered for Virat Kohli's 27th Test ton, extending his overall tally to 70 international hundreds.
The BCCI, led by Sourav Ganguly, pulled out all the stops to make the game a memorable affair and they succeeded in doing so.
It took India four years and a new board president in Ganguly to shed their four-year reluctance to play a pink ball Test.
But on-the-field the action lasted just 968 balls making it the shortest completed match in the country with India recording their longest winning streak. It was India's seventh successive Test win, away and home.
India's earlier quickest victory in terms of deliveries was against Afghanistan in 2018 when it took 1028 balls for an innings and 262-run victory.

Courtesy: PTI

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