India’s never-seen-before all-out approach in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh paid rich dividends as it helped the home side snatch a win even after losing two full days due to inclement weather conditions. It resulted in India’s first Test series victory under Gautam Gambhir, who took over as head coach in July.
The Rohit Sharma-led side broke the record for the fastest 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 in their first innings at the Green Park Stadium in order to achieve a result in the remaining two days of the match after only 35 overs of play was possible in the first three days due to rain and a wet outfield. After bowling Bangladesh out for 233 in the first innings, India smashed 285/9 in just 34.4 overs as all of their batters launched an scathing assault on the Bangladesh bowlers.
The ploy paid rich dividends, as India made Bangladesh bat for a second time on Day 4 and took two crucial wickets before stumps. On the final day, India took the remaining eight Bangladeshi wickets to bowl them out for 146 and then knocked off the 95-run target in mere 17.2 overs to clinch the match by seven wickets and take the series 2-0 with more than a session to spare on Tuesday.
Ever since, India’s approach in the match has been the talking point, with experts drawing comparisons to Bazball — a term used for England’s ultra-aggressive approach after Brendon McCullum took over the reins of the side. While England’s approach has worked for them on most occasions, it drastically failed when the side toured India, resulting in a 1-4 loss in the rubber, earlier this year.
With India set to tour Down Under for a five-Test series after completing their home assignments against Bangladesh (three T20Is) and New Zealand (three Tests), it will be interesting to see if Gambhir’s men continue with a similar approach or go back to playing traditional Test cricket, given that the ultra-aggressive template is a high-risk affair and could prove fatal in conditions where the ball tends to move.
India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the chief architects of India’s win against Bangladesh, said that he has seen people talk about ‘Gamball’, referring to India’s attacking style of batting under Gambhir.
“I was seeing some posts about ‘Gamball’–someone had shared something about it, which was interesting,” Ashwin said.
Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach after India’s T20 World Cup triumph, and when asked about the differences between the duo’s style of functioning, Ashwin said there was not much of a difference between Dravid and Gambhir’s styles as both wanted to win.
“The coaches are here for the welfare of the team, and I don’t see huge differences in how they approach the game or the passion they have for Indian cricket. Their passion is at the highest level. I mean, they bring an incredible amount of love to that dressing room,” Ashwin said.
The 38-year-old has had the opportunity to play under both stars. He pointed out that there isn’t a huge gap between Gambhir and Dravid’s approach or the passion that the duo shares for Indian cricket.
“I feel a bit sheepish saying this, but I played with Gauti Bhai and Rahul Bhai, and they’ve been my coaches in that dressing room. Their passion for Indian cricket is palpable, and it’s amazing to witness. To have them pass on their knowledge, it’s like having two cricketing geeks to talk cricket with, and I couldn’t be happier or more at ease,” he said.
India under Gambhir so far
The new era of Indian cricket has begun with a mixed bag of results. In his first T20I assignment, India won the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Days after securing the series, India unprecedentedly lost the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.
Against Bangladesh, India maintained their home dominance, and the whitewash of their eastern neighbours also helped India extend their stay atop the World Test Championships (WTC) standings.
The focus will now shift to T20I format for the three-match series against Bangladesh.
India will return to red-ball format when New Zealand tour the country for three Tests before Rohit Sharma & Co’s current WTC cycle culminates with a gruelling five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.