Kolkata: India's fast bowlers have a rare moment in the sun after uniting to dismantle Bangladesh in the first day and night test on Indian soil.Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammed Shami led 19 of the Bangladeshi wickets to fall in Kolkata, which is rare in the subcontinent areas where spinners are ruling the field.The 17 wickets world record taken by pacemakers in a home test in 2017 against Sri Lanka, as well as in the gardens of Eden in Kolkata, was exceeded.In the first Pink Ball test for both sides, India beat Bangladesh by an innings and 46 races in just over two days to sweep the series."It has always been in the cards that pacers in India make the decision, but Bangladesh should be disappointed by the lack of implementation and the struggle of its batsmen," the former Indian batsman VVS Laxman wrote in The Times of India on Monday.Skipper Virat Kohli has been all praise for his pacers and said workload management was the key to keeping them in top shape."They have gained more experience, and now they are playing well," Kohli told reporters after India won the unilateral victory on Sunday."They are responsible for their own preparation, their physical shape and communication.We want you to be fresh for test cricket, and don't worry about anything else."They also feel confident that if they don't play, we have players in reserve to come and do the job if needed. So the strength of the bench helps us a lot too."The three-day run continued despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, a Yorker specialist who is recovering from a fractured back.Shami and Yadav took 24 wickets between them in India's 3-0 test in South Africa last month.The spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja threw a total of only seven overs against Bangladesh, who fell for 106 and 195."It often doesn't happen in India when the spinners barely turn their arms in the test match," Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan wrote on Twitter.However, the real test of Indian team will come in January and February, when India plays two tests in New Zealand, a friendly sailor.Read More: IPL 2020 Auction: Players who could be released by franchises CSK, RR, RCB, MI, and others
Virat Kohli said on Wednesday that India and New Zealand are "on a par" when it comes to Southampton's conditions for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The teams will play the final starting June 18 at the Hampshire Bowl and leave India for their tour of the UK, which also includes a five-round series against England starting August 4, Wednesday. “The conditions (in England) are as strong for us as New Zealand... We will get on board thinking we are on a level playing field and the team is doing well in every session, hour by hour, I will win that tournament,” Kohli said in a virtual press conference before departure.New Zealand is already in England, playing a series of two Tests against the hosts which started with the first Test at Lords on Wednesday. They are scheduled to finish their second round in Edgbaston on June 14, just four days before the World Test Championships final.However, Kohli said New Zealand had no advantage over the Indians even after they spent a significant amount of time playing in England before the final."It's not the first time we've played in England," Kohli said. "(With) the hunger and the desire to be there... We have no problem having only four training sessions before the final."Indian cricketers Ajinkia Rahane, Umesh Yadav, and Ishant Sharma described the World Test Championship final as a draw for the World Cup final, and both Kohli and India coach Ravi Shastri agreed that what was in the making."For all of us, this is an accumulation of all the hard work of the past five or six years," Kohli said.Regardless of the size of the final match, teams will move from one biosecurity bubble to the next, and Kohli has spoken extensively about the impact of bubble cricket on the mental health of players."With the current structure (going from one vital bubble to the next), it's very difficult for players to stay motivated," Kohli said.“...Being confined to one area (it would be difficult)."Mental health (for players) will enter the picture. There is no space where you can disconnect from the game."The World Test Championship final will follow a series against England, who beat India 4-1 in the final round of 2018. With India winning the Test series in Australia in two back-to-back rounds on the road, could England be a definitive end?Not quite, said Kohli. "(The England series) is not a definitive end for us. We want to stay at the top for the next few years. We worked hard for the final, for us it's just about keeping it high," he said.Also Read: Men's World Cup To Have 14 Teams From 2027, 20-Team T20 WC From 2024: ICC
