Rohit Sharma had sent a clear message to the Indian team after the two-day rain in Kanpur© BCCI/Sportzpics
The Indian cricket team battled against extreme conditions to create a situation where they could find themselves in a match-winning situation in the second Test against Bangladesh. More than two and a half days passed in the Kanpur Test due to rain and wet outfield, but Rohit Sharma's men decided to go down to allow the match to end in a dull draw. After India eliminated Bangladesh on Day 4, Rohit led the team's attacking start with the bat, raining down boundaries at the Green Park Stadium. Later, KL Rahul revealed a crystal clear message from skipper Rohit that inspired the team's pyrotechnics with the bat.
Team India eventually posted 285/9 on the board on day 4 before Rohit decided to declare the innings. Along the way, India also managed to break the records of fastest team 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250. Rohit and Jaiswal also made history as a pair, registering the fastest 50-run partnership in Test history .
“The message was very clear from the start. We lost a few days to the rain. Most of the match was lost to the weather, but we wanted to see what we could do in the time that was left. The plan was simple: find a way to play for the win,” Rahul said.
“We lost a few wickets, but because Rohit's message was so clear that it didn't matter if we got out, we tried.”
India maintained a similar attacking intent with the ball in the second innings on Day 5. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets each as the hosts bowled out Bangladesh for 146 in the second innings.
Despite losing more than two days of the match, India pulled themselves into pole position to win the match. It took just 95 runs to seal the series 2-0 in Kanpur. The hosts eventually secured victory by 7 wickets, further boosting their WTC final hopes.
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