India demolish Bangladesh on fourth day of Kanpur Test

India shattered numerous records on day four of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, giving themselves a chance of winning the match despite only 118 overs being bowled so far.

Rain and poor drainage meant just 35 overs were bowled over the first three days, with cricket bookmakers putting the odds of the Test ending in a draw at -2000.

India were not satisfied to settle for a share of the spoils, however.

First, it was some aggressive fielding, putting in a silly mid-off and short mid-wicket to help extract the dismissal of Litton Das.

This succeeded, triggering a collapse in which Bangladesh’s last six wickets fell for 85 runs.

But India were just getting started, because with 233 runs on the board from the visitors, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal came to the crease and signalled their intent immediately.

Jaiswal cracked three boundaries from the opening over before Sharma struck his first two balls for six, becoming just the fourth man to do so in Test cricket.

Records began tumbling as India raced to 55/0 from just 23 balls.

Overall, the hosts would make 285/9 from just 34.4 overs, racing along at the highest run rate ever recorded in a Test innings lasting more than 200 balls — 8.22 runs per over.

Sharma fell for 23 from 11, but Jaiswal went on to get 72 from 51.

Shubman Gill (39 from 36), Virat Kohli (47 from 35) and KL Rahul (68 from 43) all contributed as well in a contest that quickly looked more like T20 cricket than a Test match.

“It was a collective buy-in from the batting group and that is important,” Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel said.

“We decided let’s see if we can take the game forward as fast as possible and you need a leader from the front to do that.

“And Rohit has done it so many times for India and again today to go first ball, bang, six.

“You know, on a surface where you think, is the bounce might be up and down, you’re not quite sure how the new ball is going to play, just to make his mark in that fashion…

“I don’t think as a bowling unit they [Bangladesh] expected that to happen.

“But it was always part of our game plan was to see, OK, how can we push this game forward? And how can we get the result?”

After India declared 52 runs ahead and nabbed Bangladesh’s first two wickets cheaply, Marantelli Bet now has the odds of India winning the Test (-151.52) shorter than a draw (+120).

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