Indian cricketers scripted another great victory in Test cricket and once again the Indian pacers dominated over the opposition batsman. After India’s another brilliant victory in their historic first-ever day/night pink-ball Test match against Bangladesh, Indian head coach Ravi Shastri highly praised the Indian bowling unit.
The hosts India easily won the historic day/night pink-ball Test match against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens (Kolkata). They won the game by an innings and 46 runs and won the two-match Test series by the 2-0 margin. In this new experience, the Indian pacers totally destroyed the Bangladesh batting line-up as they took all the 19 wickets of this Test match. It is the first time when the Indian pacers took more than 17 wickets in a home Test match.
After India bundling out the visitors Bangladesh for just 106 runs in the first innings, the hosts managed to score 347/9 decl. Apart from the half-centurions Cheteshwar Pujara (55) and the Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (51), Indian captain Virat Kohli (136) became the first Indian to hit a century in the day/night Test match.
Starting their second innings trailing by 241 runs, Bangladesh batting was destroyed on 195 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim‘s (74) lone battle couldn’t save the team from the innings defeat.
You feel proud as an Indian seeing men at work in such a professional manner – Ravi Shastri
After winning that match, Ravi Shastri lauded the Indian bowling unit. He feels proud to see their recent dominant bowling performances, including outside the Asian soil. The Indian head coach believes that the discipline and hunger to win is a major factor in this team.
Ravi Shastri said, “Great to see the team bowling as a unit. You feel proud as an Indian seeing men at work in such a professional manner. It’s taken time. I think the last 15 months in the foreign territory has made them understand how important it is to support one another and bowl as a unit. That’s when you create pressure, that’s when things happen. There has been a lot of hard work.”
I think the discipline and hunger to win is a major factor in this team – Indian head coach
The Indian head coach believes that the discipline and hunger to win is a major factor of this Indian team who are dominating in almost every place.
Ravi Shastri added, “I think the discipline and hunger to win is a major factor in this team. They know they are arguably the best side in the world and they have been for some time at this level. They want to win every game and they know there are no shortcuts. They know it’s work across five days and it’s work as a team put across the table.
“Individuals are not going to win it, it’s going a team effort and they think in that fashion… and when you have a crowd like this, they don’t need motivation. They (crowd) were behind them all the time and the bowlers were charged up in this game more than in many games I have seen.”
Ravi Shastri feels that the Bangladesh team needs exposure to performing competitively in Test cricket. Shastri admitted that the Bangladesh team missed some of their regular experienced players in this tour. He feels that Bangladesh can compete better in the away Test if they strengthen their pace attack.
Ravi Shastri commented, “They (Bangladesh) need exposure. They are work in progress. They are strong in their country but when they travel there is plenty to be learnt. Mushfiqur showed how determined a player he is. Yes, they missed Shakib and Tamim. But I think the more the exposure they get the better they will get. If they strengthen their pace attack they can compete even better when they travel.”
Earlier, the hosts India won the first Test of this series at Indore by an innings and 130 runs.