A confident India side will be aiming for a clean sweep in their Test series against Bangladesh when the two teams meet for the second and final match, starting on Thursday (December 22) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, in Mirpur. After a comprehensive victory of 188 runs over Bangladesh in the first Test at Chattogram, where many players helped them seize the key moments, India were also helped by South Africa’s two-day loss to Australia to now be at second place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
Another victory in Dhaka will cement their second-place standing in the Championship points table, behind toppers Australia and India have a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the same. Cheteshwar Pujara made 90 and 102 not out in both innings, while Shubman Gill registered his maiden Test century and Rishabh Pant set the base for a counter-attack with a quick 46. Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin also did a crucial job with the bat and India would want captain KL Rahul to be among the runs too.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav had a great all-round outing on his return to Tests after 22 months, taking a five-fer in the first innings and chipping in with a career-best 40 with the bat. Right-arm pacer Mohammed Siraj`s opening burst in the first innings and left-arm spinner Axar Patel picking up key scalps in the second innings were other notable contributors with the ball, especially after India were wicketless in the opening session on day four.
With the Dhaka pitch traditionally favoured more towards assisting spinners, India`s spin troika of Kuldeep, Axar and Ashwin will have more responsibility and workload with the ball, with Siraj and Umesh Yadav to be in handy supporting acts.
Venue: Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, Mirpur
Date & Time: December22, 9am IST onwards
Live Streaming and TV details: Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV website and app.
Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant
Batters: Cheteshwar Pujara, Mominul Haque, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill
All-rounders: Shakib al Hasan, Ravichandran Ashwin
Bowlers: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav
Captain: Ravichandra Ashwin
Vice-captain: Shubman Gill
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto, Anamul Haque, Zakir Hussain, Shakib Al Hasan (C), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Khalel Mahmud, Taijul Islam
India: KL Rahul (C), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav
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