Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma take India closer to victory
It was a day on which Bangladesh finally showed some heart in the series. India are still certain to wrap up proceedings not long into the third day, but the fight displayed by the visitors at least made it a something of a contest. Bangladesh triggered a collapse from India’s lower order, and then Mushfiqur Rahim put on a couple of important partnerships. It all made picking out the six defining deliveries of the day an interesting project, to say the least.
Rahane 2.0 is stopped on his tracks
61.1, Ajinkya Rahane, c Ebadat b Taijul, 51 (69)
Ajinkya Rahane was superb before his sudden dismissal
Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli resumed the day as though they were in a hurry to finish the match within two days. There was caution in the first over, but that was it. Kohli was, as is routine these days, brilliant, but it was Rahane who was made things compelling with his proactive approach to batting.
Not too long back, he had gone through one of the tougher phases of his career, but after some big hits when India toured West Indies in August and September, the Mumbai batsman found his confidence again. He brought up his 22nd Test half-century, looked good for a lot more, and at the time, it seemed Bangladesh would be in for another one of those long days in the field, as teams have come to expect in India.
But then, remarkably, Taijul Islam – not even in the initial XI for this match – got the breakthrough, prompting Rahane to slash one straight to point. It was the first sign that things wouldn’t be as easy on the day as some would have thought.
Virat Kohli’s four in a row
70.4, Abu Jayed to Virat Kohli, four
The #RunMachine at it again ??@imVkohli brings up his 27th Test ?#PinkBallTest #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/rL4wDIdKsK
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 23, 2019
The thing that perhaps makes Virat Kohli the subject of envy for most batsmen is his ability to switch gears, to use a cliché, without taking anything away from his focus. While batting with Rahane, Kohli was intent on attacking from both ends. Soon after the former’s dismissal, he switched down to a more assiduous mode. And then, he would switch things up again, as soon as he sensed the timing was right.
He brought up his century – becoming the first Indian to do so with the pink ball – having slowed down in the late 80s and 90s, but then came a phase when he felt Abu Jayed needed a bit of working around. And so he did. Four consecutive balls of the 71st over were sent racing to the fence, on both sides of the wicket.
The first was a thick edge through gully, which would have probably raised Jayed’s confidence. But then, as if that never happened, Kohli unleashed a immaculately balanced on-drive past mid-on the very next ball. It became three in a row when he used his wrists to guide a full delivery from middle and off through the covers. And then, a beautifully timed drive through sweeper cover, hit so powerfully the fielder there was beaten.
It was classic Virat.
An impeccable catch, and a peevish send-off
80.3, Virat Kohli, c Taijul b Ebadat, 136 (194)
Taijul Islam took a superb catch to dismiss Virat Kohli
It was an incredible catch from Taijul, who had a superb day, and a fitting one to dismiss the Indian captain. Virat Kohli brought out the flick to a delivery that was seemingly drifting down leg, and though Taijul was stationed at deep backward square leg, Kohli would have been confident of finding some runs for it. Instead, Taijul put in a dive on a backward run, and was parallel to the ground when the took the catch. There was disbelief around Eden Gardens.
As all the Bangladesh fielders raced towards Taijul, and Kohli himself walked away with a wry smile, acknowledging the quality of the catch, Ebadat celebrated with what the commentators called the Air Force salute, his usual gesture on taking a wicket. However, it appeared a bit silly, given Kohli had already scored by himself more than what Bangladesh as a team managed in the first innings.
Kohli didn’t seem to react, despite making eye contact with Ebadat as he did the salute, but Sunil Gavaskar on air seemed livid. “The salute should have been done 136 runs earlier, my friend,” he said, struggling to keep his cool.
Ashwin squanders chance to make his case with the bat
85.6, R Ashwin, lbw Al-Amin Hossain, 9 (21)
R Ashwin’s role in this side is no longer certain, what with India’s high-functioning pacemen and an improved Ravindra Jadeja. So, with India losing a couple of wickets, here was his chance to send a reminder that he did have four Test centuries and 11 half-centuries to his name. He went about that fairly well, finding the fence twice, one of them a beautifully balanced pull off the back foot off Ebadat.
However, he could manage just a 21-ball 9 before batting around an inswinger from Al-Amin, and being trapped in front of stumps. He reviewed Joel Wilson’s on-field decision, but with the tracker showing umpire’s call, he had only one place to go. That uncertainty regarding his role will continue.
Second-innings Ishant loves the pink ball
2.5 Mominul Haque, c Saha b Ishant, 0 (6)
Ishant Sharma has been in superb form with the pink ball
After the first Test, during an interview with the host broadcaster also involving his fellow pacemen Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, Ishant asked Shami why all of them did similar things with the ball, but only Shami ended up with wickets. That question will be redirected back to Ishant after this match.
Following his 5-22 in the first innings, Ishant Sharma took three wickets in as many overs at the beginning of the Bangladesh second innings. Perhaps most telling among them was the dismissal of the Bangladesh captain for nought – he bagged a pair – after Ishant sent in another delivery that was pitched in that corridor of uncertainty outside off.
He ended the day with figures of 4-30, and not many will bet against him getting his second five-for of the match tomorrow.
Mushfiqur Rahim leads the resistance
23.1, Mohammed Shami to Mushfiqur Rahim, four
Mushfiqur Rahim continued his good form against India
Mushfiqur Rahim is the one batsman who can frustrate India, and he did so yet again. After Bangladesh were reduced to 13-4, there were those who wondered whether the match would be wrapped on the second day itself. But Rahim led the fight back, putting on 69 with Mahmudullah first up for the fifth wicket, and following that up with a 51-run stand with Mehidy Hassan Miraz.
Mushfiqur, when he is in the mood, is superb to watch too. This particular four came off Shami, who was struggling this innings, with the pitch offering little to no assistance, and the dew becoming a factor. It was a crunching drive square of the wicket – a shot he used routinely in the innings. The mark of a good batsman is that he capitalises on such situations, and Rahim surely did, ending the day unbeaten on 59*.
Unfortunately for him, India are still just four wickets away from victory, and chances are Bangladesh won’t be allowed to knock off the 89 runs required to make India bat again.
