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IND vs. BDESH 2024/25, IND vs. BAN Preview of the 2nd test match

Big picture: Bangladesh awaits another tough test

Bangladesh started the series with a 2-0 win in Pakistan. The climax came when India were 144 for 6 in the first innings in Chennai. But then India showed again why they are arguably the strongest home team in Test history, beating Bangladesh by 280 runs.

It was a display of India's strength in both batting and bowling. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli combined for just 34 runs in four innings but India had three centuries and two half-centurions. In bowling, their seamers shared eight wickets in Bangladesh's first innings and the spinners shared nine in the second.

Things won't get any easier for Bangladesh in Kanpur, where bottom-placed New Zealand secured a draw in the last Test here. There are also some uncertainties regarding the pitch. Ground staff prepared two playing surfaces and until midday on the eve of the game it was not clear which would be used.

Kanpur generally offers good Test match pitches, helping fast bowlers on the first morning before flattening out and helping spinners on the last two days. However, the weather could be a problem this time as rain is forecast for the first three days. This could not only affect the field, but also the shooting decision and team composition.

But all is not bleak for Bangladesh. In their second innings in Chennai, the openers gave them a solid start, followed by the return of Najmul Hossain Shanto to form with 82. In their first innings, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz all got starts. But to be competitive at home against this Indian team, you have to be at your best for much longer periods of time. Can Bangladesh do this?

Form Guide

India WWWWW (last five tests, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWLL

Spotlight: Shubman Gill and Shakib Al Hasan

Shubman Gill knows his limits. Even after scoring 452 runs with two hundreds in the home series against England earlier this year, he recently said that he was yet to live up to his expectations as a Test player. Gill scored a duck in the first innings of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh but scored an unbeaten 119 with plenty of shots in the second innings. With India set to face tougher opponents – New Zealand and Australia – in the coming months, Gill would be keen to refine his game at No.3.

When is Shakib Al Hasan out of the spotlight? While batting in Chennai, he was seen biting into a black strap that was wrapped around his neck to keep his head from falling. When it came time to bowl, there were murmurs about his workload, his ineffectiveness and his discomfort with the spinning finger. And after confirming Shakib's availability for the second Test, Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe dropped a bombshell about his future on the eve of the match.

Team news: Wait and watch?

There was no indication from the Indian camp whether they would play three spinners. Even if this is the case, it may not be an easy decision. If the pitch is too slow, Axar Patel could be helpful with his pace and attack on the stumps. But India already has a similar spinner in Ravindra Jadeja. For Kuldeep Yadav’s benefit, this is his home. So it's also a tempting option. If India plays Axar or Kuldeep, Akash Deep could be the one to miss out.

India (Probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (Capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (Week), 6 KL Rahul, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Axar Patel, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj

If Bangladesh fields three spinners, Taijul Islam could replace Nahid Rana. This could also lighten Shakib's workload if needed.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Litton Das (week), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Taskin Ahmed

Pitch and Conditions: Slow and Low Jump?

The red-ground pitch in Chennai had good bounce for both seamers and spinners in the first Test. Kanpur will be different. The two playing fields that are considered for the game are areas with black soil. They are likely to be flatter, have less bounce, and are likely to slow down as the test progresses. All that could change if it rains as forecast and poor light could also become a factor towards the end of each day.

Statistics and trivia: Jadeja doubles the cards

Quotes

“We don’t necessarily pay attention to bad pitches. But we try to make sure the conditions are tough enough for the players to be challenged. A lot of these guys have been playing for so many years. Only if they are challenged will they do it.” Sometimes the thought process is to challenge them differently so that your game and you grow organically and mentally.
India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar about the benefits of playing on different playing fields

“Pitches don’t matter much against teams like England, Australia and India. They will obviously have weapons with which to attack us. They have good batsmen, fast bowlers and spinners. I don't think the pitch will have any effect. “We need to perform better than we did in Chennai.”
Bangladesh's all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan

Hemant Brar is an editor at ESPNcricinfo

By Vanessa

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