India, hoping for big knocks from skipper Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli, will look to continue their dominance over Bangladesh in the second and final Test cricket match starting here on Friday and aim for a clean sweep in the two-match series.
India won the first Test match played in Chennai with the help of Ravichandran Ashwin’s all-round performance, Shubman Gill’s century, Ravindra Jadeja’s good batting and Rishabh Pant’s brilliant performance on his return. Bangladesh’s fast bowlers put pressure on India on the first day, but the way the Rohit Sharma-led team made a comeback shows its dominance in Test cricket, especially on home grounds.
India’s eyes are now set on winning the 18th consecutive series at home. After a successful comeback in limited overs cricket, Pant also showed his prowess in Test cricket. Watching him play, it seems that he has added new dimensions to his game because he also curbed his aggressive attitude when needed. But in the first Test match, Rohit and Virat’s bat remained silent. In this match, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers Hasan Mahmud and Taskin Ahmed bowled well on a favorable pitch.
India has a very busy schedule in Test cricket ahead and in such a situation, Rohit and Kohli will be desperate to play big innings here. The Green Park wicket has always helped spinners. Although the fast bowlers are expected to get some help in the beginning, its nature is likely to change as the game progresses. In such a situation, India can include three spinners in the final eleven instead of three fast bowlers.
In such a situation, Kuldeep Yadav can replace Akashdeep, for whom this is his home ground. If India wants to strengthen the batting, then Akshar Patel can get preference over Kuldeep. In the last Test match played at Green Park in 2021, India had fielded three spinners Ashwin, Jadeja and Akshar. This match played against New Zealand was a draw.
As far as Bangladesh is concerned, its batsmen did not perform well in the first Test match, due to which it may make changes in its team. Its batsmen were unable to cope with India’s fast bowling attack in the first innings, while in the second innings they had no answer to Ashwin’s spin. The team management has given contradictory statements on the availability of Shakib Al Hasan.
While one of the Bangladesh selectors had said his selection was doubtful due to a finger injury he suffered while batting in Chennai, head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe said the star all-rounder is available to play. Bangladesh may include left-arm spinner Taijul Islam in the playing XI in place of pacer Nahid Rana. They have another option in off-spinner Nayeem Hasan.
Indian all-rounder Jadeja can become the player to make the unique double of 300 wickets and 3000 runs in this match. So far he has taken 299 wickets and scored 3122 runs in 73 test matches. England’s Ian Botham achieved this feat in 72 test matches and Jadeja has a chance to reach this milestone in the least number of matches after him. It has been very humid here for the last few days and the players will have to overcome this challenge as well.
Not only this, there is a possibility of rain on the first and third day of the match.India are yet to lose a Test match to Bangladesh and the visitors will have to make a special effort to register their first win.
The teams are as follows:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Kumar Das, Mehdi Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Zakar Ali Anik.
