In the Kanpur Test match, India easily defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets, even though play was impossible for two days in a row. It might be argued that the thrilling World Test Championship format was a major factor in India’s pursuit of victory against BAN.
On Tuesday, October 1, India defeated Bangladesh handily in the Kanpur Test match. In the second session of the last day, India chased down Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, with seven wickets remaining, after losing more than two and a half days of play because of a wet outfield and bad weather.
The pace of India’s bat and ball play in Kanpur was not reminiscent of a Test match. India was proactive with their bowling changes and bowled out Bangladesh in just 47 overs on Day 5 of the match, not only did they bat at a ludicrous run rate of 8+ in the first innings. Before implementing his modifications while nothing was happening, Sharma did not wait for too long. When Mohammed Siraj failed to claim a wicket in his four overs during the morning session, for instance, he was removed from the attack.
In spite of bowling brilliantly in his eight overs, Akash Deep was removed from the attack to let Jasprit Bumrah to finish the job with the old ball against a determined Mushfiqur Rahim.
Validated by WTC
This new breed of Indian Test cricket shown a determination to push through a result even in the face of adversity. Many fans on social media dubbed the strategy “Bazball Pro Max,” and it was. However, one could counter that the ICC’s contextualisation of Test cricket inside the World Test Championship format is directly responsible for this goal-oriented mindset.
India’s desire to create a cushion around themselves in the WTC points table before departing for Australia may have motivated them to go all out for the win. India leads the WTC standings at the moment, but if their Border-Gavaskar Trophy goes terribly wrong, they could drop out of the top two slots.
Table of WTC Points and Potential Scenarios
India would be in danger of dropping below 60 percentage points if they lose every Test match during their Australian trip, which would keep Sri Lanka competitive for the second slot in the standings. If that’s the case, India’s chances of making the final will be determined by the outcomes of the other teams.
India needs to win both their Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand to raise their percentage to 79.76 in order to avoid leaving things too late. In such case, their PCT would stay above 60% and they would be in strong contention for a top-two berth even if they were to draw one Test match against Australia.
And that’s where the World Test Championship’s charm lies. The structure has helped make the game richer by providing incentives to teams who genuinely fight for a win, making even dull Tests intriguing.
The strength of the new format is shown by Rohit Sharma’s India, who persevered in trying to win despite play being cut short by more than two days. Not only has the WTC given Tests new life, but it has also elevated the competition to a whole new level compared to other ICC forms.
