India will take on Bangladesh in the 2nd Test match at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on September 27. Both teams engaged in an intense training session on a bright, sunny day after their arrival in Kanpur. The Rohit Sharma-led India team has taken a 1-0 lead in the 2-match Test series against Bangladesh. Team India won the first Test by a massive margin of 280 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. India’s big home season got off to a great start, and they will aim to continue with the winning momentum.
India further solidified their position as the top-ranked team in the World Test Championship cycle 2023-25. They will aim to add another win to their tally and complete a clean sweep against Bangladesh, maintaining their spotless record against their neighbors. Kanpur will be hosting a Test match for the first time since 2021, which witnessed a thrilling draw between India and New Zealand. However, the weather and pitch conditions remain to be seen if they would be favorable for a 5-day Test match between India and Bangladesh.
IND vs BAN : Previous Performances
India and Bangladesh lock horns in the second and final Test match of the series at Green Park, Kanpur, beginning on Friday, September 27. Bangladesh came into the first Test on the back of great momentum as they had completed a historic whitewash of Pakistan in a two-match Test series earlier in the month. However, beating India in their own backyard was always going to be a tough task.
Najmul Hossain Shanto won an important toss and invited India to bat first, allowing his pacers to use the moisture on the wicket. Hasan Mahmud was the wrecker-in-chief as Bangladesh had the hosts on the mat at 144/6. However, India’s talismanic all-rounders – Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – weathered the storm and bailed their team out of trouble, scoring 113 and 86, respectively. India were eventually bowled out for 376 as Mahmud finished with figures of 5/83.
In Bangladesh’s first innings, Indian bowlers worked in tandem like a well-oiled machine and blew them out for just 149. Jasprit Bumrah was the star of the show as he picked up a four-for. Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with two wickets apiece.
India didn’t enforce the follow-on as Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant slammed sparkling centuries in the second innings to extend the first innings lead. Eventually, India declared at 287/4, setting Bangladesh an improbable target of 515 in the fourth innings. Ashwin excelled with the ball as he finished with figures of 6/88, while Jadeja contributed with a three-for, guiding the hosts to a 280-run win.
Shanto was the top-scorer for Bangladesh in the Test match as he scored 20 and 82 in the two innings. The southpaw will have to lead from the front for the visitors. Beating India in India is a herculean task but Bangladesh will have to back themselves and play positive cricket and see where it takes them.
India’s firepower in batting as well as bowling makes them the overwhelming favourites. However, they shouldn’t let complacency creep in as they will look to continue their super run in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
IND vs BAN : Head to Head
India has maintained a dominant record over Bangladesh in Test cricket, winning 12 out of the 14 matches played between the two teams, with the remaining two ending in draws. This upcoming match will be the first time India and Bangladesh face off in a Test at the Kanpur venue. Historically, India has a strong record at Kanpur, having lost only three times in 23 Tests. However, they have managed to win just seven matches, while the majority—13 Tests—have ended in draws.
| Matches | 14 |
| Won by India | 12 |
| Won by Bangladesh | 00 |
| Draw | 02 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture | November 10, 2000 |
| Most-recent Fixture |
September 19, 2024
|
IND vs BAN : Pitch and Weather Report
Out of the 23 Tests played at this venue, seven have been won by teams batting first, while teams batting second have emerged victorious on three occasions. The average score batting first is 370. Kanpur is expected to provide a balanced pitch where pacers could get some help with the new ball before batters rule the roost. The spinners will dominate proceedings as the game rolls on.
The pitch at Kanpur’s Green Park is expected to provide an ideal balance for both pacers and spinners in the second Test between India and Bangladesh. It has been prepared to offer support for seamers in the early stages and spinners as the match progresses, ensuring a competitive five-day contest.
The surface is likely to assist fast bowlers in the first two sessions, with good bounce and movement. However, as the match reaches Day 3, spinners are expected to come into play as the pitch starts to deteriorate. Green Park’s pitch, made of black soil sourced from the village of Kali Mitti near Unnao, is known for its tendency to aid spin bowling, especially in the latter stages of a Test match.
The red-soil pitch in Chennai had decent bounce for both seamers and spinners in the first Test. Kanpur will be different. The two pitches being considered for the match are black-soil surfaces. They are likely to be flatter, with lower bounce, and are expected to become slower as the Test progresses. All that could change if it rains as forecasted, and bad light could become a factor too towards the end of each day.
Rain is expected to play a part in the first three days. Overcast conditions across the five days would offer some assistance to the pacers on a pitch that is otherwise expected to stay low and turn quite early.
Weather Report
The weather is expected to play spoilsport during the first three days of the 2nd Test in Kanpur, with rain predicted throughout. There is a 93% chance of precipitation with 99% cloud cover on Day 1 of the Test, i.e., September 27, Friday.
Rainfall is expected throughout the day, which will only intensify by the evening. Day 2 of the Test match showed an 80% chance of rain with persistent cloud cover on the 28th. Meanwhile, Day 3 has a 59% chance of precipitation with 75% cloud cover. The weather will clear up significantly on Days 4 and 5, with very little chance of rain.
IND vs BAN : Big Picture : Another stern test awaits Bangladesh as they face dominant Team India
Bangladesh came into this series riding on the high of winning 2-0 in Pakistan. It peaked when they had India 144 for 6 in the first innings in Chennai. But then India once again showed why they are arguably the strongest home side in Test history and went on to steamroll Bangladesh by 280 runs.
It was a show of India’s depth in both batting and bowling. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli managed only 34 runs between them across 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 nine during the second.
Things will not get easier for Bangladesh in Kanpur, where New Zealand’s tail had held on to secure a draw the last time a Test was played here. There is also some uncertainty about the pitch. The ground staff were preparing two surfaces and, as of noon on the eve of the match, it was not clear which one would be used.
Kanpur generally offers good Test-match pitches that help fast bowlers on the first morning before flattening out and assisting spinners on the last two days. However, the weather could be an issue this time, with rain forecast on the first three days. That could impact not just the pitch but also the toss decision and team compositions.
But all is not bleak for Bangladesh. In their second innings in Chennai, their openers gave 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 periods. Can Bangladesh do that is the question ahead of the visitors.
For 26 minutes on Thursday, in the conference room of Green Park Stadium, the attention was firmly on Shakib Al Hasan. The veteran Bangladesh all-rounder casually dropped details of his conversation with the board chief and the selectors to put an end to his Test career. The country’s most decorated cricketer desires to have a swansong at home in Mirpur, but given the political conditions, that may be fraught with risk. The Kanpur Test, starting on Friday, could therefore very well be his last.
While there is uncertainty on whether Shakib will be bringing the curtains down on his Test career at Green Park or not, Kuldeep Yadav, another left-arm spinner on the other side would be awaiting the chance to play his first international game at home in his seven-year-long career.
For either of them to hope for a grand occasion – farewell or welcome – on the expected spin-friendly track of Green Park, they would have to pray that there is ample counter-measures in place by the state association for the predicted rains over the next three days.
IND vs BAN : 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 fulfil his expectations as a Test player. Gill got out for a duck in the first innings of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh but scored a stroke-filled unbeaten 119 in the second. Given India are to face tougher opponents in the coming months – New Zealand and Australia – Gill would be keen to fine-tune his game at No. 3.
When is Shakib Al Hasan not in the spotlight!! While batting in Chennai, he was seen biting a black strap, wrapped around his neck, to keep his head from falling over. When it was time to bowl, there were murmurs about his workload, ineffectiveness and discomfort with the spinning finger. And after Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe confirmed Shakib’s availability for the second Test, he dropped a bombshell about his future on the eve of the match.
IND vs BAN : Vital Stats that matters
- For the first time in their Test history, India have more wins (179) then losses (178).
- Jadeja is one short of becoming the seventh Indian to take 300 test wickets
- When Jadeja gets there, he will also complete the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets. If he does it in Kanpur, in his 74th Test, he will be the second fastest to do so after Ian Botham (72).
- Virat Kohli is 129 short of 9000 Test runs
- Taijul is five short of 200 Test wickets. Only Shakib (242) has more Test wickets for Bangladesh.
IND vs BAN : Team News
India:
India have retained the same squad for the second Test. Rishabh Pant smashed a century on his return to Test cricket after more than 600 days and that should give him and the Indian team management a lot of confidence. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill faced criticism from a section of fans after departing for a duck in the first innings. However, he showcased his class with a ton in the second essay.
It will be interesting to see the kind of bowling combination India goes in with. In the last game, they fielded three pacers and two spinners. However, there have been calls from experts to bring Kuldeep Yadav back into the side. He could come in place of the impressive Akash Deep if the home side opts to go in with two pacers and three spinners. There could also be a case of giving rest to Bumrah as the Asian giants are scheduled to play eight more Tests in the coming months
There was no indication from the Indian camp whether they would play three spinners. Even if they do, it may not be a straightforward choice. If the pitch is too slow, Axar Patel could be handy with his pace and attacking the stumps. But India already have a similar spinner in Ravindra Jadeja. In Kuldeep Yadav’s favour, this is his home ground. So he is a tempting option, too. If India play one of Axar or Kuldeep, Akash Deep could be the one to miss out.
Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah opted to stay out of the optional practice session a day ahead of the game. India might look to play three spinners, which could lead to the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav at the expense of a pacer
India Playing XI : Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk.), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj/Jasprit Bumrah
Bangladesh:
Bangladesh have the option of bolstering their spin-bowling resources by bringing Taijul Islam into the side. The left-arm spinner doesn’t have a great record against India but considering Shakib Al Hasan’s finger injury issues, it could be a useful move for the Tigers.
If Taijul comes into the playing XI, Nahid Rana will have to miss out even after showing his ability to trouble top-notch batters with his pace and bounce. Bangladesh have been historically dependent on their spinners to achieve results. If the conditions are favorable for the spin bowlers, Taijul and Mehidy Hasan Miraz could form a solid combination. If Bangladesh go with three spinners, Taijul Islam could replace Nahid Rana. That could also help with Shakib’s workload, if required.
The visitors didn’t get to practice a day ahead of the game owing to rain. On Wednesday, Shakib had two sessions in the nets, but combined to bat barely 10 deliveries due to an undisclosed discomfort. The coach had, however, assured that there had been no report from the team physio to suggest that he would be unavailable for the Test. Meanwhile, Bangladesh might also look to include an additional spinner.
Bangladesh Playing XI : Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (wk.), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed/Nahid Rana, Taijul Islam
IND vs BAN Fantasy XI : Rishabh Pant, Litton Das, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mushfiqur Rahim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jasprit Bumrah, Hasan Mahmud
IND vs BAN : Match Prediction
India heads into the 2nd Test against Bangladesh with high confidence after a dominant win in the first match. Key players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Shubman Gill, and Jasprit Bumrah shined, and India remains the favorite, especially with a strong spin attack and solid batting lineup. Bangladesh, however, will aim to bounce back, relying on their spinners to challenge India on a turning pitch. Despite Bangladesh’s efforts, India’s form and experience make them the likely winners at Green Park, Kanpur.
Team India are probably the strongest team at home in modern-day cricket. That’s what they showed in the first game as well. We will back them again for a win in the final match. India’s depth in both batting and bowling makes them very likely to win the second Test. Bangladesh will need to use more spin and improve their batting. India should easily win the series, despite the probability that a closer encounter is to be expected.