KL Rahul reveals Rohit Sharma's inspiring message during Kanpur Test
KL Rahul has revealed how skipper Rohit Sharma's game-changing decision to go for an aggressive batting approach on Day 4, revived India's hopes of a win. This happened during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, which was heavily affected by rain. Even though India lost more than two days of play due to weather, they still managed to grab a 52-run lead in the first innings. India later won the game by seven wickets.
Rahul shares Rohit's motivational message
In a chat with Sports18, Rahul revealed the motivational message from Rohit that kept the team upbeat despite the time crunch. He said, "The message was very clear from the start. We lost a couple of days due to rain. Most of the game was lost to weather, but we wanted to see what we could do in the time that was left." Notably, Rahul slammed a quickfire half-century. He eventually finished with a 43-ball 68.
India's aggressive approach pays off
Rahul further explained the team's strategy, "The plan was simple: find a way to play for the win." After two days of rain delay in Kanpur, the match resumed with India having just six sessions left to dominate. Despite a challenging pitch, India managed to dismiss Bangladesh for 233 runs. The team then showcased an extraordinary batting performance reminiscent of T20 cricket, scoring at a rate of 8.22 runs per over and setting several Test records.
India's record-breaking performance and declaration
India's aggressive batting led to several Test records being shattered, including the fastest team 50 (18 balls), 100 (74 balls), and 200 runs (24.2 overs). The team declared their second innings at 285 for nine, aiming to give their bowlers another opportunity to strike. At the end of the day, Bangladesh were 26 for two with India holding a lead of 26 runs. On Day 5, they were folded for 146 before India accomplished the 95-run target.
