But thanks to clear weather on the last two days of the Test, India first dismissed Bangladesh for 233 in the first innings – picking up the last seven wickets for just 121 runs – and then declared on 285 for 9 in just 34.4 overs to have another go at the opposition in the dying moments of the day.
“We had to think a lot [about] how the game can keep moving forward once we lost two-and-a-half days,” Rohit said after India wrapped up a seven-wicket win on the fifth day. “When we came on day four, we thought, okay, let’s try and get them out as quickly as possible and then see with the bat what we can do. Once they had got 230-odd, we said it was not about the runs we get but it was about the overs we wanted to bowl at them. It meant we had to try and up the run-rate and score as many as possible because the pitch did not have much for the bowlers.”
“To make a game out of that pitch was a super effort from the bowlers, and then for the batters to buy into that thought of going and getting the runs as quickly as possible,” Rohit said. “It was a risk we were willing to take because when you’re trying to bat like that, it is very easy that you can get bundled out for a low score as well. But we were ready with that factor as well, that even if we get all out for 100-150, we wanted to give ourselves a chance to be in the game and try and get a result.”
“When we bowled them out yesterday a little after lunch, Rohit was very keen [to get a result],” Ashwin said. “He said, we at least need 80 overs to bowl at them and the moment he came inside and gave that talk [that] we are going to go after it and even if we get all out under 230, I mean, we set the cat amongst the pigeons.
“It’s not only him saying it but he went out there and hit his first [two balls] for a six. You set the tone that way, and obviously everybody follows on from there.”
“He’s been good, [coming on the back of] a lot of domestic cricket,” Rohit said. “When you you come up through the ranks like that, there’s enough overs in the legs. He has played a lot of cricket, so we know that the guy can do the job that the team is expecting him to do. He’s got the quality, he’s got the skills as well and the guy has good body as well. He can bowl long spells and can bowl quick as well.
“We want to create a bunch of bowlers, who are ready to play Test cricket at any given point because these days there’s too much cricket happening, a lot of injuries and stuff like that. So you’ve got to make sure that you prepare yourself and you prepare your bench strength in a way that, if someone’s injured, you should be able to come and replace him.”
“He comes up to me quite a lot before his spell and asks me what is happening, what do you think I should do,” Bumrah said. “We’ve had a lot of interesting conversations. It is the energy he brings onto the ball, gives it his absolute best in the field and as well as when he is bowling. He’s got a lot of heart, so that’s a great sign for us going forward as well. And whenever he comes into bowl, he gives his absolute best. So, yes, I’m very happy with the way he’s progressing and hopefully he goes from strength to strength.”
