India toured Bangladesh in 2022/23 for two Test matches and won the series 2-0. Tawhid Qureshi’s report appeared in the 2023 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
India’s visit began with a nation excited about the World Cup and ended with a thrilling Christmas finale on December 25, the first Test cricket in 40 years. It was the first time since June 2015 that India visited Bangladesh for a bilateral series, with the players looking exhausted due to the hectic schedule.
A team full of famous names must have excited Bangladeshi fans. However, there was an atmosphere of caution at the start of the tour due to events in Qatar, which attracts a country with little football tradition. The strangest aspect was the enthusiastic support for Argentina that permeated all sectors of Bangladeshi society. This is clearly reminiscent of Maradona’s victory in 1986, the first World Cup that attracted much attention in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Argentine flags and jerseys were on display in large numbers in Dhaka and Chittagong, and even cricketers were not immune to the trend. Argentina’s semi-final was scheduled to end hours before the start of the first Test, increasing the likelihood that the players would be sleep deprived. Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo implored his men to “not watch football until 3 o’clock in the morning”.
No Super League points were at stake in the One Day International, but the first two matches were mini-classics, with the third dominated by India’s Ishan Kishan, who hit the fastest double century in the history of the format, and Virat Kohli. With this, he reached 290 points. Despite this, Bangladesh, always a formidable opponent at home, won 2-1 in their preferred format. This was a breakthrough series for Mehedi Hasan, highlighting his all-round qualities and hinting that he could one day follow in the footsteps of Shakib Al Hasan. Mehedi pitched brilliantly in his two innings and in both he pulled his team out of a big hole.
The Test series was more meaningful for India at least as they gained valuable points towards the World Test Championship. The 2-0 win moved them one step closer to qualifying for the final in England in June 2023, but the way they won revealed fundamental weaknesses. An unreliable batting line-up appeared to rely on aging stars, but England’s wonders in Pakistan during the same period clearly highlighted a trend towards a conservative strategy. India ultimately won the second Test in Mirpur by three wickets, but it could have easily gone the other way. They were down 74-7 with just 145 wickets but deft strokes from Shreyas Iyer and R Ashwin brought them home. Within a few days, Domingo retired, while Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, whose knock helped them win the second Test, met with a serious road accident at his home and was rushed to hospital.
INDIA RISE GROUP: *RG Sharma (T/50), R Ashwin (T), DL Chahal (50), S Dhawan (50), AR Easwaran ( T), S Gill (T), SS Iyer (T/50), IP Kishan (50), V Kohli (T/50), Mohammed Shami (50), RR Pant (T/50), AR Patel (T/ 50), RM Patidar (50), CA Pujara (T), KL Rahul (T/50), N Saini (T), Saurabh Kumar (T), KR Sen (50), Shahbaz Ahmed (50), M Siraj ( T/50) ). ), K Srikar Bharat (T), SN Thakur (T/50), RA Tripathi (50), Umran Malik (50), JD Unadkat (T), MS Washington Sundar (50), K Yadav (T/50), UT Yadav (T). Trainer:R Dravid.
Tamim Iqbal was the ODI captain. Shakib Al Hasan was persuaded to stay for tests after initially requesting leave, but did not play as several members of his family contracted coronavirus. Shoriful His Islam and Taskin Ahmed returned home injured after the first Test.
Sharma injured his thumb in the second ODI and missed the rest of the tour. Rahul was the captain in his last ODI and Test. Y. Dayal was selected in the ODI squad but withdrew due to a back problem and was replaced by RA Senators Jadeja for both teams but could not recover from knee surgery and was replaced by Shahbaz Ahmed in the ODI. removed from Mohammed Shami injured his shoulder and was replaced by Umran Malik (ODI) and Unadkat (Tests). K Yadav was added to the ODI team while Easwaran, Saini and Saurabh Kumar strengthened the Test team. Pant was originally named after the ODIbefore being rested
First One Day International at Mirpur, 4th December 2022 (Day/Night). Bangladesh won by one wicket. India 186 (41.2 overs) (KL Rahul 73; Shakib Al Hasan 5-36, Ebadat Hossain 4-47); Bangladesh 187-9 (46 overs) (Litton Das 41, Mehedi Hasan 38*, M・Shiraj 3 wins, 32 losses). PoM: MehediHassan. ODI debut: KR Sen (India).
2nd One Day International at Mirpur, 7th December 2022 (Day/Night). Bangladesh won by 5 points. Bangladesh 271-7 (50 overs) (Mahmudullah 77, Mehedi Hasan 100*, MS Washington 3-37). India 266-9 (50 overs) (SS Iyer 82, AR Patel 56, RG Sharma 51*, EbadatHossain 3-45). PoM: Mehedi Hassan.
3rd One Day International Competition, Chittagong, December 10, 2022 (Day/Night). India won by 227 runs. India 409-8 (50 overs) (IP Kishan 210, V Kohli 113, MS Washington Sundar 37). BangladeshBangladesh‘s 182 (34 overs) (Shakib Al Hasan 43, SN Thakur 3-30). PoM: IP Kishan. PoS:Mehedi Hasan.
First Test at Chittagong, December 14-18, 2022: India won by 188 runs
India 12 points. Pitching:India. Test debut: Zakir Hasan.
Bangladesh’s failures in the first innings, coupled with consecutive dropped catches, failed run-outs and improper use of DRS, led to a defeat on a pitch that is notoriously easy to bat on. Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wrist twist posed an unusual challenge for even the most experienced batsman, with him taking eight wickets in his first Test since February 2021 and contributing significantly to India’s overall victory Did.
The hosts gave a debut to Zakir Hasan, a stocky left-handed opener who had secured a spot in the rearguard by pitching 173 innings against India A two weeks ago. It proved to be an inspired choice. His calm and determined century was the only bright spot in an otherwise disappointing batting performance. India were forced to make a change in captaincy after Rohit Sharma injured his thumb during the one-day series. Rahul took over and his own form was tested and he ended the series on the weaker side.
After losing the toss, Bangladesh got off to a bright start, picking up three wickets in the opening session, including a single wicket from Kohli. Things were supposed to get even worse for India after lunch, but Pujara had two chances. It was a chance behind the stumps and an easy catch in the deep that Ebadat Hossain missed. Bangladesh’s sub-par performance would haunt them throughout the series.
The second half of the first day saw a flurry of action, including the bizarre sight of Bale remaining in place despite the ball grazing Iyer’s off-stump. Pujara fell for 90 and Patel’s wicket till the last delivery meant Honors were almost level. But the next day, a tough eight-wicket stand between Ashwin and Kuldeep with his 92 off 200 balls helped India turn the match around and helped the team reach his 404 balls.
In response, Nazmul Hossain, who had dropped the first ball in the first ODI, tackled Siraj’s first ball at the line of the fifth stump and was caught behind. Other batsmen initially couldn’t cope with Siraj’s pace and hustle and later with Kuldeep’s tricks and treats. There were times when the quality of the shots were poor, most notably when Litton Das, Bangladesh’s most talented batsman, lost pace immediately after exchanging words with Siraj, and when Shakib Al… It was when Hasan played carelessly against the turn and passed to an overenthusiastic Kohli at slip.
India took the lead with a difference of 254 runs, but the chances of Rahul forcing a follow-up were never high. The safety-first strategy was underlined by the statement which gave Bangladesh a commanding lead of 513 points. India might have noticed the extraordinary play of Kyle Mayers – he hit a double century in the fourth innings here in the West Indies earlier in 2021. Rahul’s decision came just a day after Pujara completed an unusually dynamic century in 130 balls. This was his fastest of his 19 Test hundreds and his first in almost four years. Gill also took advantage of the injury-induced attack in which Shakib and Ebadat were absent to score his first century in an in-form Test.
The third day coincided with Bangladesh’s victory day, but victory for the country’s cricketers was always a distant prospect, even if Zakir and Nazmul were allowed to play for free in disappointing situations. With an opening stand of 124, Bangladeshi fans could dream of the impossible, even if Kuldeep’s oddly late arrival meant the contest dragged on. Zakir completed the 100 in five hours and although the match was extended till the fifth day, the spinners fought till the end. Shakib briefly threatened with his six sixes in his 84 innings, but India’s margin of victory reflected India’s superiority.
error 404
Second Test at Mirpur, December 22-25, 2022: India won by 3 wickets
INDIA12 points. Throwing:Bangladesh.
India’s thrilling victory to win the series 2-0 showed the best and worst of both teams. As much as the Bangladesh spinners were well aware of the home conditions, key mistakes were at the forefront. However, India’s skill in key moments prevailed. Iyer and Ashwin’s active cooperation helped them cross the goal line, but the lack of urgency from the leading team became apparent, and in the end, despite aiming for a modest goal, the score slumped at 74-7. 145.
If former captain Mominul Haque, who was recalled for this match, had grabbed the chance at short leg while Ashwin was yet to play, things might have played out differently. do not have. That would have made it 80-8. Mominul had earlier fielded an almost identical catch to dismiss Kohli, which drew cheers from his teammates.
India caused a stir on the opening morning by omitting Chittagong winner Kuldeep Yadav and replacing him with left-back Jaydev Unadkat, who won his second cap in 12 years after making his debut. Bangladesh maintained an ironclad dependence on his three-pronged spin attack on pitches with the usual features of low bounce and slow turns.
Bangladesh’s subdued first innings was buoyed by Mominul’s 84 runs, a welcome return to form for a player who had suffered a spectacular fall. He started 2022 with 88 against New Zealand before scoring just 78 in 12 Tests. He fell and lost his captaincy. Ashwin and Umesh Yadav made the most of Bangladesh’s increasingly unfocused soft middle. Shakib Al Hasan’s dismissal on the first ball after lunch and Lytton Das’ taming tip at midwicket were prime examples. His five wickets in the end reduced to his 14, and the total of 227 felt like an underachievement, even taking into account the pitch.
The second day coincided with the IPL mini-auction. Neither Iyer nor Pant had to prove their worth to the franchise, but their brisk batting gave them a handy lead of 87 after a five-wicket stand of 159 accounted for more than half of the total. Both players fended off their chances, with Mehedi beating Hasan Iyer on point and reprimanding himself with a bloody nose. Pant, who hit five sixes and added color with his trademark one-handed shot, was ultimately sent off for the sixth time in 33 Tests in the 1990s after falling under the goalkeeper’s movement while trying to play a flat shot with his back foot. It was sanctioned. .
Zakir Hasan continued his auspicious start to Test cricket with another fifty and Lytton looked effortless in his attempt to set a meaningful target. He found allies in Nurul Hasan and Taskin Ahmed, but was crushed by further attacks and bait from Siraj. Kohli endured an ignominious third day in which he took three catches at slip and was embroiled in an ugly confrontation with Bangladesh fielders after being sent off later in the evening.
India’s lethargic pursuit began to unravel almost from the beginning. Mehedi vacated the top spot and the promotion of Patel and Unadkat looked like a desperate attempt to protect Pant and Iyer. After restarting the fourth day with 45 wins and 4 losses, they lost three more wickets in seven overs and suffered an embarrassing defeat. But Ashwin, the most down-to-earth of cricketers, seized the moment. Playing second fiddle, Iyer calmly led India to a memorable victory and secured maximum points in the World Test Championship.
Player of the Match: R Ashwin.
Series Player: CA Pujara.
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