Team India clinched a thrilling three-wicket victory against Bangladesh in the second Test to win the two-match series. The win against Bangladesh not only helped India in reclaiming the second spot in the World Test Championships but it also bolstered their chances of reaching the finals for the second time. The emphatic Test victory, unsurprisingly, came as a huge relief to the KL Rahul-led side and the Indian cricketers engaged in a fun-filled discussion following the triumph over Bangladesh in Mirpur on Sunday. Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj was also involved in light-hearted banter with batting coach Vikram Rathour.
India had failed to kick off their tour of Bangladesh on a positive note after losing the ODI series. And now a clean sweep in the Test series has helped India in remaining unbeaten against Bangladesh in the longest format of the game. India and Bangladesh have so far faced each other in 13 Tests and the former have emerged victorious on 11 occasions.
“Really good series. A lot of good experiences, a lot of learnings, losing the ODI series was not the greatest. But sometimes a series loss does teach you a lot about where you stand as a team and as individuals. That is really important for us going into a 50-over World Cup. Even the Test series, it was hard fought. Bangladesh really played some very very good cricket. They challenged us a lot, even today. The best way to end the series,” India’s stand-in captain Rahul said after winning the Test series on Sunday.
India’s Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin picked up four wickets each in the first innings to bowl out Bangladesh for 227. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer stitched a solid partnership of 159 to guide the visitors to a formidable total of 314 in first innings. Bangladesh batters failed once again in the second innings as the hosts could only manage to register 231. India, while chasing a target of 145, lost seven wickets after scoring just 74.
However, Iyer and Ashwin weathered the storm efficiently and they forged a crucial partnership of 71 to secure a three-wicket win for India. Their partnership also turned out to be the highest one for the eighth wicket in a successful fourth-innings chase.
Get the latest Cricket News, Schedule and Cricket Live Scores here