Meltdown

Indore, November 16

India annihilated Bangladesh inside three days for a resounding innings and 130 run-victory in the first Test, with the home fast bowlers delivering a hostile performance.

The quick victory was on the predicted lines. India declared their first innings on the overnight 493/6, with a lead of 343, and then bundled Bangladesh out for 213 in the second essay. The victory gave India 60 points in the World Test Championship, strengthening their position on the top of the table with 300 points. The gulf between the two teams was massive, and it can only get worse for Bangladesh as the Indian pace attack is likely to be even more lethal with the pink ball in the upcoming Day/Night Test in Kolkata.

15 for pace

Mohammed Shami (match haul of 7 wickets), Umesh Yadav (4) and Ishant Sharma (3) picked up 14 wickets in all, psyching out an opposition that showed little stomach for a fight, except for senior player Mushfiqur Rahim (64 off 150 balls). For a change, spin stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin played a supporting role.

Bangladesh have lost a lot of Test matches, but this defeat has left them with scars that may last a long time — the visitors seemed visibly frightened in the face of relentless hostility by India’s pacemen. There were no angry gestures or over-the-top celebrations by the pace trio, but they did have scorching pace, mesmerising swing and had the ball rearing to the throat from good length. Bangladesh’s batsmen didn’t have the wherewithal to handle this.

The best part about the Indian attack is that its intensity is as much in the third session as it is early morning. Mehidy Hasan Miraj (38 off 55 balls), despite sharing a 59-run stand with Rahim, being bounced out by Umesh was a case in point. It was a ‘heavy ball’ in cricketing parlance, and it grew big on Miraj, hitting him on his chest and then tickling the stumps.

Early knocks

Left-handing opener Imrul Kayes (6) got a perfect inswinger Yadav in the first session, the ball uprooting the leg-stump. Kayes had given up on the fight from the start and was visibly nervous. Ishant got one to nip back to his opening partner Shadman Islam (6) from a length, and the batsman couldn’t bring his bat down in time.

Bangladesh’s best bet, Mominul Haque (7), was jittery from the start and was trapped LBW by Shami with one that angled in — he was given out by the third umpire after a DRS review.

Shami then hurried Mohammed Mithun (18) with a bouncer and the mistimed pull was easily taken at midwicket by Mayank Agarwal. The team’s oldest player, the 33-year-old Mahmudullah Riyad, showed technical as well as temperamental frailties. He perished when he poked at a Shami ball outside off and edged it to the slips. At 72/5, it was all over bar the shouting. Amidst the ruins, Rahim, dropped on 4 by Rohit off Shami, put up a fight. Liton Das, smashing 35 off 39 balls, showed off T20 skills when Bangladesh actually needed good technique and temperament. — PTI

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Kohli fan sneaks on to field  

A 22-year-old man, who said he was a big fan of Virat Kohli, broke through the security cordon and walked on to the ground on Day 3. Suraj Bisht, who said he was a native of Uttarakhand and works as a cook, wanted to meet the Indian cricket captain. Security personnel stopped him and he was detained. He was wearing a T-shirt with Kohli’s name printed on it and had a tatoo of Kohli’s name on his arm, and VK written on his face. His identity was being verified and appropriate action would be taken thereafter. — PTI

Numbers game

• 10  Virat Kohli now has the most number of wins by an innings for an India skipper. He is followed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni (9), Mohammad Azharuddin (8) and Sourav Ganguly (7)
• 15.82 India’s bowlers’ average in 2019, the best among all the teams
• 14 The trio of Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma accounted for 14 of the 19 wickets Bangladesh lost to bowlers in Indore

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Scoreboard

Bangladesh 1st inn 150

India 1st inn 493/6 Decl

Bangladesh 2nd inn

• S Islam b I Sharma 6
• I Kayes b Yadav 6
• M Haque lbw b Shami 7
• M Mithun c Agarwal b Shami 18
• M Rahim c Pujara b Ashwin 64
• Mah’dullah c R Sharma b Shami 15
• L Das c&b Ashwin 35
• M Hasan Miraz b Yadav 38
• T Islam c Saha b Shami 6
• A Jayed not out 4
• E Hossain c Yadav b Ashwin 1

Extras: (b 2, lb 9, nb 1, w 1) 13

Total: (All out, 69.2 overs) 213 

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-16, 3-37, 4-44, 5-72, 6-135, 7-194, 8-208, 9-208

Bowling

• Ishant Sharma 11-3-31-1
• Umesh Yadav 14-1-51-2
• Mohammed Shami 16-7-31-4
• Ravindra Jadeja 14-2-47-0
• Ravichandran Ashwin 14.2-6-42-3

India won by an innings & 130 runs 

Man of the Match: Mayank Agarwal