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Where does ‘Miracle of Kanpur’ rank among India’s most iconic Test victories? | Cricket News

By Pune Media 26

Although India have several memorable Test wins to their credit, the win against Bangladesh in Kanpur too is nothing less than extraordinary. From being given a WTC final scare to rebuff the draw chances and clinch a win, it is certainly one of India’s most iconic Test victories!

Indian players pose with the trophy after whitewashing Bangladesh 2-0 in the Test series in Kanpur on Tuesday. (Photo – PTI)

New Delhi: Team India completed a 2-0 Test series sweep against Bangladesh at Kanpur’s Green Park on Tuesday, reaffirming why they sit at the top of the current World Test Championship (WTC) standings. In a rain-curtailed second Test match, the Men in Blue claimed victory by seven wickets after batting out just 52 overs in total. Although being a typical Test with no such extraordinary instance, there’s a reason it will surely be worth remembering.

Test cricket is known for its beauty and there’s not just one but many reasons to fall in love with the longest format of the game. Its length of five days brings forth different stories each day which for a particular side might be enjoyable but for their opponents, not so much desired. Team India has seen and has been a part of many memorable victories in Test cricket.

Be it a folklore of a successful run-chase, highlighting batting masterclass, or be it a craftful defence work where bowlers shined, the Indian team has seen it all to rise through the ranks and become a force to be reckoned with in Test cricket. Talking about modern-day Tests, the extraordinary set of players is adding more legacy to the “gentleman’s game” through their tactical and analytical playing skills.

A wise man once said that a Test is played more in a player’s mind rather than on the field and something similar happened in the Kanpur Test where a result of the match being drawn became almost inevitable but watch out there! It is Team India we are talking about. There was hardly any result expected when early stumps were called on Day 1 and the next two days complete washouts due to persistent rain in Kanpur.

IND vs BAN: 2nd Test match-Day 5

Team India poses with the trophy after winning the Test series against Bangladesh 2-0. (Photo – PTI)

Kanpur Test as India’s most iconic Test win?

Well, it surely is… also asserting a huge home dominance by winning their 18th Test series in a row. The first three days saw dark clouds looming over Green Park as an unseasonal monsoon hit Kanpur. The forecast was too bad for the first two days and didn’t show much improvement for the third day either. Bangladesh were long stuck at 107/3 in 35 overs and could only turn back to batting on Day 4 when the sun shined at its peak.

The ground was clear and Bangladesh could just add 126 runs to their scoreboard, courtesy of Jasprit Bumrah & co. who bundled them out at 233 in 74.2 overs. Team India soon walked out to bat and showcased their version of Bazball i.e. “Gamball” as they went on to shatter their own record of scoring the fastest team 100 and 150 in Test cricket. It was the fastest 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 for the Indian team as they played the Test in T20 style.

It was indeed a risky decision but told a lot about India’s mindset of “winning” the game rather than going for a “draw”. Mehidy Hasan Miraz at the end of the day’s play had cleared his stance that his team won’t be showing an aggressive approach so as to ensure not getting injured, and would rather try to bat for as long as possible, hinting at a draw.

IND vs BAN: 2nd Test

India won the second Test match by seven wickets in Kanpur’s Green Park. (Photo – PTI)

India, who declared their first innings (285/9 d in 34.4 overs) after gaining a handy 52-run lead, wanted to make the most of the remaining time and Day 4 overs. They were successful in getting two wickets under the first 10 overs, courtesy of Ravichandran Ashwin. Starting the fifth day, Bangladesh were skittled at 146 in 47 overs as Ashwin, Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja all picked three wickets apiece and Akash Deep contributed with a single strike.

Striding out to bat, India had victory lying right ahead of them as they only needed 95 runs to seal the two-match series 2-0. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had a fifty in the first innings, twinned it with another as Rishabh Pant hit the winning runs as a four with Virat Kohli on the other end and claiming the win by seven wickets. The victory was nothing short of a miracle as Team India turned the game on its head after being given a WTC 2025 final scare with the “draw” factor.

Comparison with other iconic Test victories

Talk about the one Men in Blue got in Gabba on the back of Pant, or the iconic Kolkata Test win where Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman scripted a brilliant turnaround, India have been part of some of the greatest legends in Test cricket history. Even this, when England were touring India for five Tests, India registered their biggest victory ever in Test cricket history in terms of run margin.

Rajkot Test vs England

India won the Test held in Rajkot by a mammoth 434 runs to go 2-1 up in the five-Test series, making it one of their most iconic wins. Opting to bat first, India made 445 in the first innings on the back of Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja’s century and Sarfaraz Khan’s fifty. England in response could manage 319 as Mohammed Siraj headlined with a four-fer. India added 430 runs more to their 126-run lead to set a huge target of 557 runs for the tourists.

Jadeja spun webs on his home ground to take a five-wicket haul and decimate the English batting lineup which finished at 122 and India bagged the game by 434 runs, their biggest Test win so far.

Breaching Gabba fortress!

The win against Australia at their own fortress – The Gabba, can’t be ruled out of the elite list. Touring down under for a four-match Border Gavaskar Test series. The series was hanging in balance with a score line of 1-1 as the third Test in Sydney was drawn. The caravan entered the fortress where Australia’s dominance has been unmatched. Batting first, Australia scored 369, and India in response made a daunting effort of 336 with the heroics of Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur.

Australia added 294 runs more to their 33-run lead to set India a 328-run target. Not to forget that the Indian team was facing the deadly throws from Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins on an “Australian” pitch. Defying all the odds, Shubman Gill scored 91 and Cheteshwar Pujara made a helpful 56, keeping his end firm. However, when they had to depart, the middle order felt tremendous pressure which was eased by nine other than Rishabh Pant. The wicketkeeper batter hit an unbeaten 89 to take India home with a famous three-wicket win.

Dravid-Laxman thump Aussies in Kolkata

Talking about the iconic Indian Test victories and leaving out this one would be ungrateful. This marks only the third instance of a team winning the game after being asked to follow on. Generally, a follow on is an indirect dent to a team’s confidence in their minds. Being asked to follow on shows that a team is being put under pressure by the opponent but what makes the player a legend is how befitting of a reply one gives them while following on.

Batting first, Australia scored 445 runs, and India in reply could only manage 171 as Glenn McGrath ran through their batting order with a four-fer. With a huge 274-run deficit on their back, Steve Waugh – the Australian skipper, asked the Indian team to bat again. What happened next is indeed extraordinary as India not only overcame the lead but posted a mammoth 657/7 as their second innings score before declaring. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid were the wreckers in chief as Laxman smashed 281 runs while Dravid blasted 180 runs – both stitching a run-stand of 376 runs.

Australia were given a target of 384 runs and Harbhajan Singh, who starred in the first innings with a seven-wicket haul, again rose to the occasion by taking six wickets in the second essay as Australia were decimated at 212 and India won the Test by 171 runs, equalling the three-match series and eventually winning it in Chennai.

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