Bangladesh vs India, 2nd Test: Here's what the captains said
After a 1-2 defeat in the ODI series, India earned redemption with a 2-0 whitewash in the Test leg of the just-concluded Bangladesh tour. The visitors played some quality cricket throughout the series and clinched the trophy. Bangladesh looked set to cause an upset in the second game but eventually suffered a three-wicket defeat. Let's look at how the skippers reacted after the game.
How did the second Test pan out?
Bangladesh were folded for 227. Ravichandran Ashwin (4/71) and Umesh Yadav (4/25) were the architects of the same. India then posted 314, with fifties each from Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant. The pair added 159 runs, setting the foundation for a massive total. Bangladeshi tailenders then fought hard to set a 145-run target. Team India lost wickets regularly but eventually got the job done.
There was a lot of tension: KL Rahul
Skipper KL Rahul admitted that the Indian camp was under the pump after suffering a batting collapse. "There was a tension in the dressing room. It was a tough wicket, they put us under pressure in both innings. It was a new-ball surface to some extent, once the ball got softer, it was easier to score," Rahul said in the post-match presentation.
Both teams were really good: Shakib Al Hasan
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan lauded his team for putting up a competitive show. He also admitted that Ashwin and Iyer's unbeaten 71-run stand took the game away from them. "Everyone contributed. We always knew that we had a chance in Mirpur. Very good Test cricket. Both teams were really good. Credit goes to Shreyas and Ashwin, they absorbed the pressure well," said Shakib.
Ashwin adjudged Player of the Match
Ravichandran Ashwin, who took six wickets and scored an important 42* in the last innings, was named the Player of the Match. Talking about his knock, Ashwin said, "Sometimes these situations you feel like you have to get ahead of things, they bowled good lines and I felt that we didn't trust our defenses enough." "Credit to Bangladesh, they put us under real pressure."
Cheteshwar Pujara adjudged Player of the Series
Cheteshwar Pujara walked away with the Player-of-the-Series award for scoring 222 runs. "I have been working hard on my game. Played a lot of First-class cricket and then worked a lot on my game, that's what helped me score these runs," he said. "Sometimes, there is enough gap between Test matches, it helps you prepare. I think playing First-Class cricket is really important"
World Test Championship standings
With this series win, India have consolidated their second position in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The subcontinent giants bettered their Points Percentage (PCT) from 55.77 to 58.93. Bangladesh's PCT reads 11.11. The Tigers lie at the bottom. Meanwhile, Australia continue to dominate the chart with a PCT of 76.92. The top two sides will feature in the WTC final next year.
