After a delay of two and a half days, play finally commenced on the fourth day of the Kanpur Test. The morning session began at the scheduled time, following rain and unfit pitch conditions that had prevented any play on the second and third days.
Bangladesh entered the fourth day at lunch with a score of 205 runs for the loss of six wickets, buoyed by Mominul Haque’s impressive century.
The Bangladeshi batting lineup, however, faltered at the start. Mushfiqur Rahim, struggling throughout his innings, was dismissed early. Liton Das and Shakib Al Hasan both fell victim to poor shot selection, playing aggressive strokes that resulted in their dismissals, essentially gifting their wickets away.
Nevertheless, Mominul Haque displayed resilience, anchoring the innings with determination. He reached his half-century within the first hour of play and continued to embellish his innings with flair, eventually bringing up his century just before lunch.
This marked his first Test century on Indian soil, following four prior matches where he had faced struggles with the bat. His performance in Kanpur effectively erased those previous disappointments.
At one point, Mominul did offer a chance at 95 runs, edging a catch to second slip, but Virat Kohli failed to hold onto it, with Mohammed Siraj as the bowler. Mominul’s century came off 172 balls, reinforcing the notion that substantial runs can still be amassed on the Kanpur wicket.
This century is his 13th overall in Test cricket and his first against India, with all 13 Test centuries having been scored on Asian pitches.
In the morning session, Mushfiqur Rahim succumbed to a delivery from Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, which swung in unexpectedly. Mushfiqur likely anticipated that the ball would sail over the off-stump, only to have Bumrah’s inswinger dislodge his stumps.
Liton Das’s dismissal came as he sought to play aggressively, resulting in an unnecessary loss of wicket. Shakib also followed suit, succumbing in a similar manner, thereby conceding his wicket.
