The second Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur got underway with India aiming to sweep the series after their dominant win in Chennai. The match has already seen a significant milestone achieved by veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who became the Indian bowler with the most Test wickets in Asia. He achieved this feat by dismissing Najmul Hossain Shanto, taking his tally to 420 wickets in the continent, surpassing the previous record held by Anil Kumble.
India elected to bowl first in overcast conditions, and fast bowler Akash Deep justified the decision with two early wickets. He removed openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, both caught out for low scores. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who scored 31, formed a partnership with Mominul to weather the initial onslaught. However, the first-match hero Ravichandran Ashwin intervened after lunch, breaking the stand and dismissing Najmul lbw.
Despite India’s strong start, the weather played a crucial role in disrupting the day’s play. Bad light followed by heavy rain forced an early end to proceedings before tea, with Bangladesh at 107/3. Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim were batting when the rain arrived, leaving fans hoping for better weather on Day 2.
The match could also be the last Test for former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, who announced his impending international retirement earlier this week. He has stayed away from Bangladesh due to potential criminal charges and could miss the upcoming series against South Africa.
The second day of the match will be crucial for both teams. India will be hoping to continue their dominance and secure early wickets, while Bangladesh will need to fight back and weather the challenging weather conditions. With a strong Indian bowling attack, it will be interesting to see how Bangladesh’s batting lineup performs on Day 2.
