Hardly anyone would have batted an eyelid if Team India had used the last two days of the Kanpur Test for some batting practice, even shuffling the order to provide time in the middle to those in need or short of runs.

That they instead chose to go all out for a win even after more than half of the playing time in the Test was lost to the weather – and an obsolete drainage system at Green Park – shows a streak of ruthlessness that is a characteristic of great Test match outfits.

True, it was just Bangladesh, who were coming off a thrashing in Chennai and were not expected to pose a major threat – especially when the time remaining in the game was just two days. It only points to the gulf in class between the two sides, even though Bangladesh had recently tasted a 2-0 series triumph in Pakistan.

The World Test Championship (WTC) has provided context to each game in the cycle, and every result counts in the final analysis, even if it doesn’t affect the fate of a particular series. India would have still won the series 1-0 and could have lamented that they were not given a good enough opportunity for the sweep. That they refused to go down that path and took matters into their own hands shows an appreciation of the bigger picture that augurs well for the future of Test cricket.

As things turned out, the visitors were turned over with a session to spare, implying that it took only six of them for India to secure the result they were after. That should bring Bangladesh down to earth after experiencing a high across the border. The victory in Pakistan was nevertheless a significant achievement for Bangladesh cricket but on the evidence of events in Kanpur, India have bigger goals in mind, with a five-Test tour of Australia and the prospect of a third consecutive WTC final next summer.

Before that, there are three Tests at home against New Zealand, who are coming off a twin drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka in Galle, which has prompted a captaincy change in their ranks. India, who have not lost a home Test series since 2012, will be overwhelming favourites for that rubber too, especially as the last time the Kiwis won a Test on Indian soil was way back in 1988, when their team sheet included names like Richard Hadlee, John Bracewell, John Wright, Ian Smith, Mark Greatbatch, Andrew Jones, Danny Morrison, Ken Rutherford and Ewen Chatfield.

Lot of pluses

India will be full of confidence going into those games, with most bases covered. Jasprit Bumrah is well on the way to becoming one of the greatest pacers in the history of the game, who doesn’t need helpful conditions to make an impact. Mohammed Siraj hasn’t been as effective at home as he would like but Akash Deep has emerged as a reliable operator used to the hard grind of the longer format.

There isn’t much left to say about the old firm of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. They have eclipsed Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh as the most successful spin combination for India, and more often than not, come to the party with the bat as well when the team needs them most. Their numbers put them alongside the greatest all-rounders in the history of the game.

On the batting front, Rohit Sharma leads from the front, adapting his game to the match situation. It was the skipper who showed the way at the top of the order as India broke records galore to give them ample time to push for a win. Yashasvi Jaiswal has had a dream start to his Test career while Shubman Gill seems to have overcome the rough patch he had encountered. Virat Kohli may not have had a big score against Bangladesh, but can be counted upon to rise to an occasion, while KL Rahul has shown signs of returning to form.

However, the best news for Indian fans from the Bangladesh series was the almost-unbelievable comeback of Rishabh Pant to Test cricket, to such an extent that it seemed he had never been away. A serious car crash, which had at one time cast doubts over his ability to even walk properly, was forgotten as he slammed a hundred in his first Test back and was proficient behind the stumps as well.

A totally different squad will now feature in a three-game T20I series as the seniors get ready for the Kiwi challenge starting in 10 days’ time. But the think tank can be forgiven if they have one eye on the big assignment in November-January Down Under, when a once-in-a-lifetime hat-trick opportunity presents itself, and the chance to be crowned World Test Champions for the first time in England in June. It’s vital that all of India’s big guns remain fit and fresh for those two challenges.

Debate over Test centres

India’s all-out aggressive approach and their inherent superiority over Bangladesh painted over the embarrassment for the BCCI and the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, who couldn’t get any play at Kanpur on Days 2 and 3 despite hardly any rain. In an era when the best grounds in the world showcase their superior drainage facilities and Test cricket is in competition with several other options for the viewers’ and spectators’ entertainment, Green Park fell way short.

Ashwin’s suggestion about a limited number of Test centres, as against the rotation system in prevalence in India, makes a lot of sense. Australia doesn’t have more than six Test centres, and the schedule is finalised months in advance. England doesn’t have more than eight venues where Test cricket is hosted, despite there being 18 first-class counties.

If associations know that they will be hosting Tests every season, it gives them the incentive to keep their facilities and infrastructure in top shape. This assumes all the more significance in the WTC era when teams bank a lot on home advantage. Any match that doesn’t provide a result due to faulty ground and drainage situation can hurt the team big time.