3 positive takeaways for India from 2nd IND vs BAN 2024 Test win ft. Virat Kohli's cameos
Team India got the job done on Day 5 of the second Test against Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. Rohit Sharma and company recorded a comfortable seven-wicket win to seal a 2-0 series whitewash over the Bangla Tigers.
With the win, India ensured that they need only three more victories to qualify for the final of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. They are in an excellent space and are on course to have a third crack at the elusive crown.
With important assignments against New Zealand and Australia coming up, they will reflect on the Bangladesh series, where they did plenty of things right. On that note, here are three positives for India from their win over Bangladesh in the second Test.
#3 Virat Kohli chipped in with cameos in both innings
One of the pillars of the Indian batting lineup, Virat Kohli hasn't looked at his best lately.
The first Test against Bangladesh saw him fall victim to soft dismissals in both innings, lending weight to critics who believed he is off color right now. However, in the second Test in Kanpur, Kohli came up with important contributions in both essays despite the conditions not favoring him.
With uneven bounce and quick turn being an issue in the first innings, India needed to up the run rate to give themselves enough time to bowl at the Bangladesh batters on Day 4. After the top three set the tone, the No. 4 batter chipped in with an important knock. Even in the second innings, Kohli calmed India's nerves and ensured that he was there when the winning runs were hit.
That's an excellent sign for India, with important series against New Zealand and Australia on the horizon.
#2 KL Rahul played a fluent knock
Kohli wasn't the only Indian batter to break a period of brief inconsistency and come up with a fluent knock. KL Rahul, who has slotted into the middle order at No. 6 but hasn't been overly convincing in the red-ball format of late, turned in an excellent display in the first innings.
With India needing runs at a quick rate and Bangladesh's spinners bowling tight lines and lengths, Rahul got stuck in and used his wide array of strokes to throw them off. He hit a Test half-century that ensured India stretched their lead, and more importantly, he did it at a rapid clip.
Rahul needs to display more such form to nail down a spot in the middle order.
#1 India managed to fashion a result in less than 3 days
Needless to say, this will be India's most important positive takeaway from the second Test against Bangladesh. Despite rain threatening to play spoilsport and ensuring that cricket was played for less than three days, the hosts managed to eke out a fairly comfortable win in the second session on Day 5.
Led by Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, India blitzed their way to a rapid team half-century in the first innings and ensured the momentum was carried through the batters. They gave themselves the time to bowl a few overs to Bangladesh on Day 4 and picked up two wickets in that period, setting the stage for a comfortable result on the final day.
The World Test Championship was undoubtedly a big motivator, but India need to give themselves credit for having managed to fashion a result despite many things being stacked against them. It shows that this is a modern team that won't roll over easily and are intent on producing entertaining, result-oriented cricket.