India vs Bangladesh Live Score 2nd Test, Day 1: IND hunt for the wicket before lunch

India vs Bangladesh Live Score 2nd Test, Day 1: Akash Deep was relentless in the first session

The toss was delayed for an hour in Kanpur and when it took place, India captain Rohit Sharma won it and decided to bowl first. India played with the same team that won the first Test at Chepauk Stadium by 280 runs. This means they have stuck with a three-man attack of Bumrah, Siraj and Deep, with Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja as their spinners. There was no rain today, but it rained most of the night before the game in Kanpur. This resulted in a soggy outfield despite the entire field being covered and an hour-long delay in the start of play.

India would be aiming for a clean sweep when they take on Bangladesh in the second and final Test starting on Friday at Green Park in Kanpur. However, the hosts want captain Rohit Sharma and veteran batsman Virat Kohli to return to form after their poor performances in the first Test in Chennai. And all this only when the weather permits. According to the weather forecast, quite a bit of precipitation is expected in the first three days. In fact, some of these arrived earlier than expected, forcing the ground staff to spring into action and cover the pitch and the entire outfield.

The hosts found themselves in trouble after they were forced to bat by Bangladesh under cloudy skies on the first day of the Chennai Test. India struggled in the top spot at the hut until local hero Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja anchored the innings with their solid partnership. Ashwin scored a brilliant hundred and Jadeja made 86 to take India's first innings total to 376. In the second innings, Shubman Gill hit a century while Rishabh Pant scored a fluent hundred in his comeback Test.

The way India fought back in Chennai to win the Test match by 280 runs proved their superiority in home conditions and if they win in Kanpur, it would be their 18th consecutive home win in a row. Gill looked solid at the crucial No.3 position while Pant made a big statement with his aggressive hundred. Rohit and Kohli's failure with the bat in both innings seems to be a bit of a concern, but on a favorable pitch in Kanpur, they can expect things to change.

The black earth used to prepare the Green Park wicket would make the jump and transport unpredictable. The red surface on the Chennai track ensured that the bounce off the surface was realistic and was the same on all four days. However, the track in Kanpur will be flatter and will become slower as the game progresses. But don’t expect it to be a rank-changer either.

Bounce was key in the first Test at Chepauk, where the seamers and spinners alike benefited. In Bangladesh's second innings, Ashwin and Jadeja claimed nine wickets between them. The slowness of the Kanpur pitch will influence the selection and the third seamer will make way for a spinner. Akash Deep may have to sit out to make way for Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav. If India decides to have more batting depth, Axar would be the first choice.

In the last Test match played against New Zealand at this venue in 2021, India fielded three spinners – Axar, Ashwin and Jadeja. The game ended in a draw thanks to the resilience of the New Zealand batters. The previous Test was also against New Zealand, which India won comfortably. Interestingly, both test matches lasted five days.

The current weather conditions could increase the challenges for players as the city has experienced high humidity in recent days. Due to these intense conditions, the Indian team made Thursday's training session optional to prevent players from overexerting themselves in the heat. According to weather forecasts, rain interruptions are also expected during the game, especially on the first and third days.

Bangladesh, despite a great start in the Chennai Test, failed to perform well with the bat as their batters faced top-notch pace bowling under the leadership of Jasprit Bumrah. In the second innings, Ashwin and Jadeja were too hot for them. Shakib Al Hasan, who announced his retirement from T20Is on Thursday, is a doubt due to injury and if he is not in the field on Friday, offspinner Nayeem Hasan could be his likely replacement. Even if Shakib plays, Bangladesh could sign left-arm spinner Taijul Islam in place of Nahid Rana.

Meanwhile, Jadeja has taken 299 wickets and scored 3,122 runs in his 73 Test matches. He is now on the verge of becoming the second fastest player in Test history to reach the remarkable milestone of 300 wickets and 3,000 runs. The all-rounder needs just one wicket to reach this milestone, putting him behind legendary Englishman Ian Botham, who achieved the feat in 72 matches.

Bangladesh have never won a Test match against India. Of the 14 Tests played between the two neighbors, India has won 12 and two matches have ended in a draw.

Here are some important notes about the 2nd Test India vs Bangladesh in Kanpur:

– Akash Deep made the breakthrough for India in his first over in the ninth over

– Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl first

– Toss was delayed by an hour due to a wet outfield

– India have not lost a Test at Green Park Stadium in 41 years.

– India's Ravichandran Ashwin has taken 16 Test wickets at the venue and can overtake Kapil Dev's tally of 25 if he has a big day.

– This will be Virat Kohli’s only 2nd Test in Kanpur. In his last game – in 2021 – he scored 27 runs in both innings.

– Bangladesh are yet to beat India in Test matches.