Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir's masterplan was revealed by R Ashwin |Courtesy-BCCI/IPL
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- India registered a famous victory in the Kanpur Test
- Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir's masterplan has been revealed
- India won the match by 7 wickets after two and half days were lost due to rain
The Indian cricket team scripted a famous victory in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh to complete a whitewash. The Rohit Sharma-led side won the series 2-0 with a 280-run victory in the Chennai Test before winning the second match by eight wickets.
The Kanpur encounter seemed headed for a dull draw after two and a half days were lost due to rain. Only 35 overs of action were possible on Day 1 before both the second and third days were washed out due to rain. While India would have won the series, shared points would have massively hurt the two-time finalist chances of reaching the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) final.
What happened next will be remembered for a long time as India produced a batting display for the ages. They hit 285 runs in 34.4 overs, making it the first instance of a 200+ score in Test cricket history at a run rate higher than eight. In the process, India set the record for the fastest 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 in Test cricket history.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh were bowled out for 233 in the first innings and 146 in the second. The hosts chased down the target of 95 with ease.
India's Forfeit Plan Revealed
Ravichandran Ashwin revealed captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir were prepared to take a massive risk and forfeit one inning. However, they decided against doing it due to the intense heat in Kanpur.
"Yes, we discussed it (forfeiting an inning). We were considering whether we should forfeit an inning, but the heat was so intense. These are harsh conditions--sweating profusely, I had to change shirts four times in a day, and it still wasn't enough. It was especially tough on the fast bowlers, and even the spinners found it exhausting. If we got them out for another 200 runs, it would still mean spending five sessions on the field, which would be hard on the batters as well. So, we decided to bat and go after the bowling," said Ashwin on Jio Cinema.
The only instance of a Test innings being forfeited in history came in 2000, when South Africa and England took that route in the Centurion Test after rain washed out more than two days of play. This reduced the game to a one inning shootout.