Weather and Pitch Conditions Set the Stage for India-Bangladesh Test Showdown in Kanpur
The weather and pitch conditions will be one of the factors to be considered as India and Bangladesh get ready for the second Test in Kanpur. After registering a massive victory of 280 runs in the first Test in Chennai and leading the series, India 1-0 will be keen to win and clinch the series.
On the other hand, it is Bangladesh as they were able to rouse a most dangerous turning India into 144 for 6 in the first innings at Chennai, will be wanting to make a comeback as well.
Most attention prior to the Kanpur Test has been focused on the pitch and the related controversy. Two pitches are being made ready and as of the day before the match there was no clarity on which one would be used. Bearing these assumptions, the surfaces of both pitches are expected to be black soil, in contrast to that of red soil surface in Chennai.
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Traditionally, the Kanpur first inning pitch has a bit of carry for the seamers in the morning of the first day but later due to the wear and tear it assists the slower bowlers, in this case, the spinners. The game will get slower as it stretches further pulling spinners into focus as the surfaceswill have lower bounce.
The weather forecast further adds to the woes of the play as rainfall is anticipated during the first three days which would alter the pitch conditions set toss decision and the composition of the teams.
It is a simple question for India whether to field three spinners. If the pitch is slanting towards spin, it could be useful to include Axar Patel who is more of a destructive player, however Kuldeep Yadav, who has a home advantage, is also an attractive proposition.
And India’s fast bowlers have done well in Chennai that’s why the team could be cautious to make that adjustment. On the other hand, Bangladesh too might go with the three spinner tactic with Taijul Islam at the expense of Nahid Rana. These are measures the team will put in place in order to ease shoving the pressure on Shakib Al Hasan who is very unfortunate to have hurt his finger.
Bangladesh too has some positives coming into this Test despite heavily losing in chennai. Najmul Hossain Shanto 82 in the second sesion, aided by valuable contributions from Shakib, Litton Das, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz suggests that the bangladesh wears future sencond wounds. But there beads as their main flaw playing with other big guns, low batting handles further against than relative the Indian side.
Referring to the unpredictable conditions brought about by weather and the pitch, the Kanpur Test looks to be a thrilling contest which both teams will have to make changes periodically to stay in control. India remains the favorite, but if Bangladesh takes advantage of important situations and sustains pressure for the duration of match, they can provide a shock. The rain prediction is likely to spoil plans and should increase the magnitude of the match as it will probably be very close.
