There aren’t many better displays of pure calculated aggression than India’s blistering first innings against Bangladesh in the 2nd Test at Kanpur on Monday.
Having lost out on almost two days of the Test match due to rain, After losing two days to rain, India came in hot on Day 4 to bowl out Bangladesh for 233 in their first innings.
With time working against them, skipper Rohit Sharma decided to go out guns blazing with the bat, and his team followed the plan to a tee, as India unleased an attacking blitz unlike one ever seen before on the Bangladesh ranks.
In what can only be described as a stunning assault, India demolished the records for the fastest 50, 100, 150, and 200 team scores.
India hammered 285 runs in just 34.4 overs before they ultimately chose to take their chacnes with the ball, as they declared with a 52 -run lead and a little over one day of play remaining.
This instance of India’s declaration marked the first time in the 21st century and just the second instance in 70 years where a team has declared their first innings in under 35 overs.
The only other instance over the past 70 years where the same situation arose was in the infamous farce Centurion Test between England and South Africa back in 2000, when SA’s Hansie Cronje offered ENG’s Nasser Hussain a target so generous that he ‘couldn’t believe it’.
Later, Cronje admitted all charges of match-fixing. The Centurion Test was under the scanner and within three days, it was proved that the South African skipper had struck the deal for his own benefit.
“A bookmaker urged me to speak to Hussain about an early declaration,” was Cronje’s admission. When the wheels were in motion with Hussain taking the bait, he texted the bookmaker: “the game is on”.
In return, after the match, Cronje received a leather jacket and 50,000 rand. What Hussain thought to be his first overseas Test win turned out to be a well thought out plan of a match-fixer to save his money.
Well, unlike the Protean, India, on the other hand, were tempted to take their chances with the declaration, with the hopes that their bowling attack, which has been firing on all cylinders, would continue to do so.
India’s plan would be to bowl out the visitors, so as to have enough time to chase down the remaining target just in time. They got off to a strong start in the remaining overs of Day 4 itself, as Ravichandran Ashwin picked up two wickets in quick succession to end the day for Bangladesh at 26/2.
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