IND vs BDESH 2024/25, IND vs BAN 2nd Test Match Preview

Big picture: Bangladesh faces another tough test

Bangladesh came into this series on the back of a 2-0 win in Pakistan. It reached a peak when they had India 144 for 6 in the first innings in Chennai. But then India showed again why they are perhaps the strongest home side in Test history as Bangladesh steamrolled by 280 runs.

It was a show of India’s depth in both batting and bowling. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli between them scored just 34 runs in four innings, but India had three centurions and two half-centurions. When it came to bowling, their seamers shared eight wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings and the spinners shared nine during the second.

Things won’t get any easier for Bangladesh in Kanpur, where New Zealand’s tail had managed a draw the last time a Test was played here. There is also some uncertainty about the field. The ground staff were preparing two surfaces and as of midday on the eve of the match it was not clear which would be used.

Kanpur generally offers good Test match pitches that help fast bowlers on the first morning before leveling off and assist 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 can affect not only the field, but also the toss decision and the team composition.

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

Form guide

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

In the spotlight: Shubman Gill and Shakib Al Hasan

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

When is Shakib Al Hasan not in the spotlight? During the batting in Chennai, he was seen biting a black belt wrapped around his neck to prevent his head from falling. When it came time to bowl, there were murmurs about his workload, ineffectiveness and 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 it does, it may not be an easy choice. If the pitch is too slow, Axar Patel can be useful with his pace and attacking the stumps. But India already has a similar spinner in Ravindra Jadeja. In Kuldeep Yadav’s favor, this is his home base. So he is also a tempting option. If India play either Axar or Kuldeep, Akash Deep could be the one to miss out.

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

If Bangladesh goes with three spinners, Taijul Islam could replace Nahid Rana. That could also add to Shakib’s workload if necessary.

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 (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Taskin Ahmed

Field and conditions: Slow and low bounce?

The red ground pitch in Chennai had a decent bounce for both sears and spinners in the first Test. Kanpur will be different. The two fields eligible for the competition are black soil surfaces. They will likely be flatter, bounce less, and are expected to slow down as the test progresses. That could all change if it rains as forecast, and poor light could also become a factor towards the end of the day.

Stats and trivia: Jadeja double on the cards

Quotes

“We don’t exactly design bad fields. But we try to make sure the conditions are tough enough so that the players are challenged. A lot of these guys have played for so many years. Only when they are challenged are they going to do that.” get better. So sometimes the thought process is just to challenge them in a different way so that your game and you grow, organically and mentally.”
Assistant coach India Abishek Nayar about the benefits of playing on different 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 quality batsmen, fast bowlers and spinners. I don’t think the pitch will have any effect.” We have to perform better than we played in Chennai.”
All-rounder from Bangladesh Shakib Al-Hasan

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo