Discover how India’s aggressive strategy on Day 4 of the Kanpur Test left Bangladesh stunned. Explore match highlights and key performances in detail.
Introduction:
After two rain-affected days at Kanpur, cricketing fans were finally treated to an electrifying Monday under bright sunshine over Green Park. Most famous for their patient and dominant traits in red-ball cricket, India took a very unusual approach this time around. A slow game proved to be an all-frenetic scoring spectacle as they battered through one Test record after another while chasing history.
India’s Break of Batting Records in Kanpur test
Rohit Sharma, the white-ball man, brought his attacking skills into the red-ball domain. His opening assault helped set the tone for the rest of the Indians, who went all guns blazing. Very soon, India added the fastest team scores of 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 runs for men’s Test cricket. Bangladesh were left fumbling to get control.

Rishabh Pant, one of the wickets seen in that debacle, is not yet included in the squad, a testament to the improvement he has made since. Rohit himself smashed 23 off just 11 balls and his other batsmen followed in the footsteps. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul scored fifties quickly. The Indian innings was declared at 285 for 9 having faced only 34.4 overs-an unheard of aggression in Test cricket.
See also: Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill Shine as India Dominate Day 3 in Chennai

Bangladesh Struggles with the Ball:
The Bangladeshi bowlers found it really hard to cope with the relentless attack mounted by Indians, though Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan really fared valiantly. Both picked four wickets each, but the nature of the pitch was one of unpredictable bounce, having witnessed days of rain and then sunshine. Some deliveries stayed low, and even seasoned spinners like Mehidy and Shakib could not hold their own at times.
See also: Jaiswal’s Quickfire Fifty Guides India to a 2-0 Series Victory

Indian batters on a mission, but conditions not at all helpful. Rohit was aggressive but cameos from Jaiswal and Rahul leave Bangladesh with very little chance to settle into any rhythm. Jaiswal has indeed played with a lot of flair and his 31-ball fifty is the absolute highlight of the day.
See also: India’s Young Guns Crush Bangladesh in Dominant T20I Victory

Bangladesh’s Response: Mominul’s Lone Battle
Bangladesh had a mountain to climb when their batsmen went out. The attack was disciplined in its intentions, underpinned by Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep. At his lethal best, Bumrah used subtle variations that caught Mushfiqur Rahim out.

Agarwal’s dismissal brought pressure on Rohit Sharma to continue trying to take the game away from Bangladesh, and with Bangla going into their shells, it acted as a relief for Litton Das as he fell to a brilliant one-handed catch by Rohit. Bangladesh was on the floor, but in the midst of all the carnage, Mominul Haque stood rock solid, and in terms of solidity, he played a determinate innings with his 13th Test century and staying ahead where others failed. He rotated the strike with keeping a fair sweep and ensured Bangladesh avoided a total collapse.

Bowling Brilliance of India
Indian bowling was an art of patience and skill. Bumrah’s in-swingers combined with Siraj’s scorching pace and Ashwin’s guile was too hot for the Bangladeshi batsmen to handle. After Shakib and Litton’s dismissals, India didn’t let off the steam as Akash Deep and Ashwin bowled a couple of maidens in quick time.

Mominul, though, batted gamely, getting into the 90s with aggressive shots against spin. He was done in eventually but not without helping Bangladesh to a respectable score of 233. However, with their backs against the wall, Bangladesh could not match the firepower of India’s batting line-up.

The Finale Act: India Looks For Victory
The Indian bowlers had begun to demolish Bangladesh’s second innings by the time Bangladesh came out on the field to start the day’s play. R Ashwin trapped Zakir Hasan lbw, bowled nightwatchman Hasan Mahmud, and left Bangladesh at 26 for 2. In that situation with India already having a lead, the match almost seemed decided.

Things were not helped along by India’s stubborn tactics, either. Zakir and Shadman Islam batted right down to the close of play, but by then Bangladesh were already 26 runs in arrears. So, of course, one could see all was not right for Bangladesh, and victory would soon slip from its fingers.
Conclusion: Bangladesh was dominated all-round by India.
The India performance at Kanpur was nothing less than spectacular. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal made aggressive batting contributions, breaking records in the process, while disciplined bowling ensured that Bangladesh were never given even a moment’s respite from them. With the sun shining and conditions finally favoring the bat, India made most of the opportunity and put themselves in a commanding position as the day came to an end.