India swept the two-Test series against Bangladesh winning the day-night match at the Eden Garden in Kolkata by an innings and 46 runs as the visiting team were skittled out for 195 in their second innings nearly an hour into third day’s play on Sunday.
Bangladesh, 152/6 overnight, needed another 89 runs to make India bat again in the second Test. But paceman Umesh Yadav deashed the visitors’ flickering hopes of a fight-back by claiming the remaining three wickets that fell on day three—those of senior batsman Mushfiqur Rahim and tailenders Ebadot Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain to finish with five for 53 in 14.1 overs. Al Amin was the last man out caught by wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha.
Mahmudullah, who left the field on Saturday with a hamstring injury after making 39, did not come out to bat on Sunday.
Ishant Sharma, who captured 5 for 22 in the first innings two days ago, took 4/56 in the second innings to finish with a match haul of 9 wickets for 78 and Umesh, who claimed 3 wickets on Friday, finished with 5 for 53 in the second to emerge with a total of 8 for 82 from the Test.
The win in Kolkata has been even more comprehensive for India in terms of time taken. If the hosts had wrapped proceedings up inside nine sessions in the first Test in Indore which they won by a bigger margin of innings and 130 runs, they did it in under seven in Kolkata. Thus, the entire series lasted around the duration of a single Test.
The victory in the Kolkata Test extended India’s lead at the top of the ICC Test Championship points table.
Mushfiqur, who was Bangladesh’s highest scorer in the second knock, with 74 runs off 96 balls with the help of 13 boundaries was the second batsman to depart this afternoon.
India, looking to seal victory in Kolkata as quickly as possible on the third day, struck in the very second over when Umesh took Ebadot out with a bouncer. The ball climbed steeply, Ebadot raised his bat instinctively, and the ball flew to Kohli at third slip.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli brought in spinner Ravindra Jadeja in place of Umesh and Mushfiqur, one of the finest players of spin in contemporary cricket, responded by reverse sweeping the spinner in the air for four and two balls later swept him again for four more, in front of square without bothering to keep the shot on the ground.
Forty minutes into third day’s play, Mushfiqur perished in pursuit of runs as he tried to clear the in-field but completely mistimed the stroke off Umesh spooning a simple catch to Jadeja at mid-off, leaving Bangladesh at 184 for 8.
Then Abu Jayed and Al-Amin Hossain resorted to some no-hold-barred slogging before both fell to Umesh for the addition of seven more runs.
On Saturday night, Bangladesh gritted it out through a tough session, largely due to two fine rearguard acts from Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah. Bangladesh’s hopes of avoiding innings defeat had at that time depended on Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah returning to bat again on Sunday.
It was largely due to Mushy and Mahmudullah that Bangladesh recovered from 13/4 to finish the second day on 152/6 by stumps and stretched the Test into the third day.
The Indian fast bowlers were dominant throughout the series with their pace, bounce, and movement.
Indian opener Mayank Agarwal got a double-hundred in the first Test and Virat Kohli a hundred in the second, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Vice-Captain Ajinkya Rahane two fifties apiece.
