IND Vs BAN, Day-Night Test: India Defeat Bangladesh To Register Record 12th Successive Series Win At Home

Mastering the art of playing pink ball in their very first attempt, Virat Kohli-led Team India produced an all-round display to put a toothless Bangladesh out of their misery after just 47 minutes of play (on Day 3) in the historic Day and Night Test at the iconic Eden Gardens on Sunday. Already in the driving seat of the two-Test series after winning the Indore Test, the Kohli-led side was looking to pick up from where they left off in their maiden pink-ball Test match against Bangladesh in the final rubber. Throwing shades of the Indore Test, the hosts batted once and ended the visitors’ innings twice to wrap up a memorable series triumph by successfully stepping in the unknown with the Bangla Tigers.

Toss was the only thing that went in the visitors’ favour as they were outplayed in every department throughout the three-day extravaganza in Kolkata. Keeping the day and night Test folklore intact, India brought the overall 12th pink-ball international game to a conclusion. The three-man pace battery of the Indian team (Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami) was right on the money as Bangladesh were dismantled for a meagre 106 in their first innings followed by a modest 195. Pacer Ishant emerged as the wrecker in chief for India with his first fifer in 12 years at home.

Skipper Kohli then hit a purple patch by making amends for registering his 10th duck in the Indore Test. The 31-year-old smashed a record-setting 27th Test century (70th international ton) to get himself on level terms with Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting. India declared on 347 for 9 to lay the foundation for the pacers to run rings around a hapless Tigers’ side for the second time in running. While Ishant stole the show in the first innings, speed merchant Umesh returned similar figures with his fifer to trigger another batting collapse.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been phenomenal for India in the whites but the first-ever Day and Night which India won by an innings and 46 runs will be remembered for the speed merchants and also for the infamous twin concussions. A complete annihilation of the Bangla Tigers in both innings was sponsored by the Indian pacers only.

In fact, the Kolkata Test will go down in India’s history as the only Test where spinners failed to open their account in both innings. Ishant bagged nine scalps followed by Umesh with eight wickets. Shami enjoyed a brace of wickets too while spinners only got the chance to bowl wicket-less seven overs combined.

The magical figures of Ishant and Umesh are also historic in nature as they are the first Indian pace duo to have finished a Test match with eight or more scalps. The feat is a repeat of 2010 Ashes Test in Perth when Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson finished with nine wickets each respectively against England. For his fiery spell in both the innings, Ishant was adjudged the Man of the Match. The Delhi speedster also finished as the pick of the bowlers with a total of 12 wickets after the two Tests and was graced with the Man of the Series honour as well.

For the record, this was the third time when Indian pacers bagged two fifers in one Test match at home. Ishant with his 5/22 and Umesh with his 5/53 joined the likes of Kapil Dev and Madan Lal. Both legends were the first ones to combine and notch up five wickets each in a Test match. Kapil and Lal registered five-wicket hauls against England in 1982 Test match at Wankhede stadium. Their feat was repeated by Javagal Srinath, who ran riot with 5/46 & 8/86 against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens back in 1998.

Kohli and Co. now have a world record under their belt after decimating the Bangladesh side by an innings. The style of the win in the 2nd Test has been India’s traditional way of wrapping up Test series this season. India beat South Africa by an innings in their last two games and repeated the same in the recently concluded Bangladesh series. Hence, they have become the first side to win four back to back Test by an innings.

India zoomed past Bangladesh to extend their winning run to seven games in the oldest and the longest format of the game. Starting from the 2-0 series triumph over the West Indies in the Caribbean after entering a new cycle following the 50-over World Cup, India completed an unprecedented whitewash of South Africa 3-0 and ended the 2019 Test season by a comfortable 2-0 series clean sweep over Bangladesh.

Their previous best was architected by legendary MS Dhoni, who led India to six back to back Test wins in 2013. India were on an unbeaten run from February to November under Dhoni at the time. Overall, Kohli-led India has capped a successful year this season with seven wins and a single draw in a total of eight Tests.

Lanky pacer and a certified experienced campaigner for India in the longest format, Ishant registered his second-best match figures with 9 for 78 in the series decider against Bangladesh. The Man of the Series bowled 288 balls, leaked 129 runs and finished with dozen wickets. His career-best match figures remain 10/108 against West Indies in Bridgetown which he bagged eight years ago. The Delhi-born pacer’s 7/58 against New Zealand used to be his best figures at home for India before the historic pink-ball Test. Ishant has signed off from the series with career-best of 5 for 22 which he obtained in the first innings.

Indian pacers hogged all the limelight by improving their previous best of 17 scalps in a Test at home. Umesh, Ishant and Shami joined forces to scalp 19 dismissals in the 2nd Test –  a tally which is the highest for fast bowlers in India’s own backyard. The pacers have enjoyed a fruitful run overseas as well. Seamers’ highest tally of wickets taken in a Test is 20 in South Africa (at Johannesburg 2013) followed by 19 against England (at Trent Bridge 2018).

While it took less than 50 minutes to complete another series clean sweep at home on Day 3, India’s first Test appearance under floodlights also turned out to be their shortest in the longest format. Only 968 balls were bowled by the bowlers in order to come up with an outcome inside the first three days of play. The 968-ball Test match has upstaged the previous result of the India-Afghanistan game that came in 1028 balls last year in Bengaluru. India and Australia played the third shortest Test (1213) in 2004 at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium. Wankhede was also the host of the fourth shortest (1262) Test for India in 2013. All four Tests in the shortest list were won by India.