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After going down against the top-ranked Test team, India in the first of the two-match Test series, Bangladesh will eye to comeback, hoping to put up a dominant performance on a comparatively flatter wicket at the Green Park in Kanpur. The second Test of the two-match series is scheduled to be played from September 27 till October 1 in Kanpur.
The visitors will hope to come out good, especially the experienced lot consisting of Mushfiqur Rahim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan. However, veteran Bangladesh all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan got a couple of starts in the first Test but wasn’t able to put together an innings of substance, while he wasn’t able to take any wickets with the ball. Moreover, he was seen struggling with injury, which led to reports making rounds about his doubtful participation in the second Test.
He is eligible for selection: Head Coach Chandika Hathurusingha
The 37-year-old was set to undergo medical assessments on his finger, as communicated by Hannan Sarkar, member of the BCB selection panel, he has reportedly cleared all tests and is fit for selection. Speaking ahead of the second Test, Bangladesh Head Coach, Chandika Hathurusingha has brushed aside doubts regarding Shakib’s unavailability.
"I have not heard anything on Shakib regarding any complaints. I haven't heard from my physio or anyone else so he is eligible for selection," Hathurusingha told reporters in Kanpur on Wednesday, September 25. "I am upset about not his (Shakib's) performance, but our overall performance and how we could have done better. I am sure that he also thinks that he can perform better and we all know what he is capable of," he further added.
Speaking of the second Test, it is to be understood that unlike the true bounce that lasted for four days in the Chennai Test, the pitch at Green Park is expected to provide a flatter wicket, with slower playing field. This implies that the bounce will be comparatively lower, making it crucial for batters to adjust their technique to score effectively. The slower nature of bounce at the Kanpur pitch is likely to bring some changes where the visitors might look in to bring left-arm spinner Taijul Islam in place of Nahid Rana or may even look at Nayeem Hasan.
