Bangladesh and India are both eagerly awaiting their second Test of the two-match series, set to take place tomorrow at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
India have already won the first Test of the two-match series in Chattogram, and are now aiming to secure a comfortable sweep of their opponents. However, Bangladesh are eager to prove their Test match ability at their most-familiar surface of Mirpur, where they previously won two consecutive ODIs against India prior to this series.
Spinners are likely to play a pivotal role in this match on the pitch which is traditionally known to aid spin bowlers.
Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan have been in top form with the ball in Chattogram while Shakib Al Hasan was out of action due to a rib injury, but the southpaw is now fit and ready to bowl in the Dhaka Test.
Allan Donald, the bowling coach of Bangladesh, cleared the doubts about Shakib’s availability as a bowler, confirming that “Shakib is okay; he will bowl. He was briefly hampered by a bruise during the ODI game in Mirpur, but has since fully recovered and is available for selection.”
India boasts an impressive spin attack, headed by Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel who decimated the Bangladesh batting line-up in the first Test. In Chattogram, the Bangladeshi batters were left in distress when confronted with the duo’s skills.
But Vikram Rathour, the batting coach of India, said they are not worried much about spin. He instead said that when the game is in the subcontinent, one team should be aware of the turn.
“When you play in Asia, subcontinent, you expect the wickets to turn,” he said in the pre-match press meet on Wednesday.
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He added that the turns in Bangladesh will help them to prepare well for the next series against Australia.
“After this we are playing Australia and we expect them to turn. So good practice for us. Good preparation. No special things tactically,” the Indian batting coach added. “We are not discussing anything too much. They need to decide what areas and the shots that are on, depending on the bounce we get here.”
Ahead of this match, India escaped an injury scare. Lokesh Rahul, the stand-in captain of India, suffered a blow to his hand during the practice session. But, as their batting coach stated, Rahul has no reason to be worried about. He is all fit to take on the field.
Bangladesh will be eying on the batting skills of Zakir Hasan, who hit a century in his debut Test at Chattogram, becoming the fourth Bangladeshi batsman to do so. He had already been showcasing his talent in the domestic circuit and has now finally delivered when it matters most.
“The young man has surprised many. It is the first time I have seen Zakir. I love his attitude, boldness, and attacking mindset. He has come to play,” Alland has said.
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Before this match, Bangladesh had faced India in 12 matches, with 10 of them resulting in defeats and two ending in a draw. However, this time around, Bangladesh will approach the match with a winning mentality.
Source: United News of Bangladesh