During the fourth day of the second Test match of India’s tour of Bangladesh 2022 in Mirpur, India beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets to register a 2-0 series whitewash. However, both losing their first Test and drawing their first series against Bangladesh was on the cards for India as their batters were found wanting in the fourth innings against Bangladeshi spinners.
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Resuming from their overnight score of 45/4, scoring the remainder of 100 runs to seal a 145-run target wasn’t the easiest of journeys for the visitors. Having lost three early wickets on Day 4, India did give the impression of looking set to lose the match but a match-winning 71-run seventh-wicket between batter Shreyas Iyer (29*) and all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin (46*) turned the tables in the first session itself.
Been a consistent performer for the hosts in both the ODI and Test series, all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz picked his ninth Test five-wicket haul to become a major source of concern for the Indian batters. Bowling figures of 19-4-63-5 had almost put India out of the contest at the Shere Bangla National Stadium today.
IND vs BAN Man of the Match
Iyer, who had scored a fighting half-century in the first innings, made it a point to continue his form in the second innings as well. The right-handed batter was the one who hit a couple of boundaries to ease off the pressure initially before being outscored by Ashwin.
Having developed a knack of putting on display unmatched grit and determination in tense finishes in this format, Ashwin batted exceedingly well to hit four fours and a six at a strike rate of 67.74. Ashwin, who picked match bowling figures of 43.5-5-133-6, was adjudged the Player of the Match for the ninth time in his Test career.
What a nail-biter of a Test match india just managed to win! Despite a long injury list & selectoral caprice, @ashwinravi99 did so brilliantly that my only worry is that he might now be left out of the next match…!#INDvBAN
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 25, 2022
“We didn’t have much batting left. It was one of those games where we let the game drift whenever we could have shut it off. Shreyas [Iyer] batted beautifully,” Ashwin told the host broadcaster during the post-match presentation ceremony.
