Bangladesh vs India: Cricket During Monsoon, a Gamble
Cricket during monsoon is a gamble but the Indian Cricket Team isn't averse to it. The one-off Test in Fatullah against Bangladesh has ended in a dull draw and the next series against Sri Lanka in August doesn't spring hope either.
Over nineteen hours and nearly 290 overs were lost in the Fatullah Test between India and Bangladesh due to rain, resulting in a dull draw. It is the second time in the history of Test matches between these two nations that rain has come in the way of a result.
Eight sessions were lost over 5 days and only 184 overs were possible as rain wreaked havoc in the Dhaka suburb. It ruined any chances of a result for India against a team ranked 6 places below them in the ICC's Test rankings.
On the final day two and a half hour's play was lost. Despite that, the spinners extracted some juice out of the wicket. On either side of Tea they picked five of the seven wickets to fall, Ashwin taking a five for.
"Ashwin has been bowling well for us for a while and Harbhajan Singh has bowled well after coming back to the side. He has been a match winner for India. So, watching them together was obviously very pleasing for me as captain. It is very easy to go off the field and come on the field and not have intensity. But what was asked from the boys, they delivered perfectly on the field," says Kohli.
Harbhajan Singh, took 3 wickets and crossed a personal milestone. He went past Wasim Akram's Test tally of 414 wickets as India's spin attack helped enforce a follow on vs the opposition. Bhajji is now 9th on the list of all-time highest Test wicket-takers.
Overall, there were some positives for Team India. Shikhar Dhawan returning to form with a brisk 173, Murali Vijay waiting for two days to get to his 100 and then eventually scoring 150. Ajinkya Rahane showed once again that he's perfectly suited to all formats, missing out on his 4th Test ton by just 2 runs.
Despite the silver linings, the almost constant rain in Bangladesh ensured that the fans were left frustrated. India found the only window for the one off Test against Bangladesh at a time when rain was predicted.
"You can't control the weather, you can't schedule games with the thought that it might rain or might not rain. You schedule the games and if rains, you carry on and you do what you have to do and then play whatever is left of the game. That's a part of being an international sportsman as well. You don't always have the perfect conditions to play. I don't think anyone can realistically plan a schedule according to the weather," says Kohli.
Cricket during the monsoon season is always a gamble. The fans could be in for another round of disappointment courtesy the rain when India tour Sri Lanka in August.