India are gearing up to face Bangladesh in the second and final Test match of the series at Green Park in Kanpur. Rohit Sharma's Indian team made light work of the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led Bangladesh side with a 280-run drubbing in the first Test in Chennai.
The pitch plays an important role in cricket and so it did in the opening Test in Chennai. The red soil pitch had a tinge of greenery at the start which assisted the pacers on Day 1. The pitch had true bounce and carry and later started to turn with some footmarks near the batters' eyes. As the Indian team looks to sweep Bangladesh, the pitch in the second game in Kanpur is in attention. Will it be the red soil one, which has a good bounce and turns or will it be a black soil one, which plays slow?
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the pitch for the second Test in Kanpur will be a black soil pitch. The surface is set to be flatter than the previous one, will have lower bounce and will also become slow as the game progresses. Also, it is unlikely to be a rank-turner.
That means the batters won't have much of an issue as there won't be demons in the surface and they can breathe easy. A black soil pitch which will slow down as the game progresses, also means there is hardly any need for three pacers.
Both India and Bangladesh shall turn to a three spin-two pace strategy for the final game. The hosts played with two spinners - Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and three pacers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep in the Chennai Test. They could drop one of the pacers and bring in either Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel in Kanpur.
The visitors can also bring either left-arm spinner Taijul Islam or offspinner Nayeem Hasan in the mix. They went with two spinners - Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Shakib Al Hasan and three speedsters - Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana. Nahid might have to make way.
Bangladesh are also keeping an eye on Shakib Al Hasan's finger injury. He picked up the issue during the first Test against India after bowling and was also hit by Jasprit Bumrah in the same place. If he does not bowl, the visitors will need at least two spinners in Kanpur.
