Team India celebrate after the fall of a wicket in Day 5 of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. (Image: Sportzpics)
The Indian team think tank was considering to forfeit an innings to ensure that they could force a result in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh.
The pressure might have been on the Indian squad. With two days washed out and India needing to pick up as many wins as possible to confirm their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, it resulted in a never-before-seen approach to the game led by Rohit Sharma.
India’s veteran spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, revealed what was India’s plan of action considering that they had two days left to go.
“We wanted to maximize whatever we could from this game. We knew the importance of every win for the points table, as it could haunt us later in the series. On day four, the instructions were clear: go hard while still maintaining control, which we did,” Ashwin shared in an interaction with JioCinema.
Once the Indian bowlers got the job done, it was up to the batting unit to take their game to a new level and go hard at the Bangladesh bowlers. Rohit set the tone right from the very first ball he faced by smashing it for a six, and the rest of the team followed suit.
“Once we bowled them out, Rohit was clear that we had to attack, even if it meant risking getting all out. He led by example, hitting the first ball for six. From there, it wasn’t about holding back. Our bowlers followed suit, and with our attack, one comes after another. It was a great day, and we finished with a win,” Ashwin commented.
Innings Forfeit on the Cards?
Interestingly, Ashwin also revealed that the team were pondering on whether they could have forfeited an innings to push for a result. But Team India did not go ahead with that as their aggressive batting display meant that the bowlers had more than enough time to secure the win despite the gnarly heat in Kanpur.
“Yes, we discussed it. We were considering whether we should forfeit an innings, but the heat was so intense. These are harsh conditions—sweating profusely, I had to change shirts four times a day, and it still wasn’t enough. It was especially tough on the fast bowlers, and even the spinners found it exhausting,” he commented.
“If we got them out for another 200 runs, it would still mean spending five sessions on the field, which would be hard on the batters as well. So, we decided to bat and go after the bowling,” he concluded.
