As Team India prepares themselves for the second Test against Bangladesh which is set to take place at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It seems that the conditions which could be on offer, a stark contrast to what we saw in Chennai for the previous Test.
According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, the pitch being used for the match in Kanpur, could be a black soil track which will provide completely different conditions to that in Chennai. Kanpur would likely provide much flatter conditions with lesser bounce on offer compared to the red soil track.
The red soil pitch that was used in Chennai saw that the tracks provided some nice and consistent bounce for both the pacers and the spinners equally. With the new ball, the quicker bowlers proved to be a threat while the spinners like Ashwin were looking to use their top-spin variations which changed to the turning deliveries through the fourth day of the Test.
In black soil conditions, bounce will likely not be on offer for the pacers. The report suggests that the conditions would continue to follow a similar route despite the wear and tear of the pitch. Batters would have to take a more defensive approach due to the flatter surface. As the pitch breaks down, the spinners will be in the game even more with many cracks on display which could be put to use.
With regards to team changes, the Indian team have already deployed the same squad for the second Test in Kanpur. But there could be a change in the starting 11 with either Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel being roped into the side for Akash Deep giving the home side a 2 pace, 3 spin bowling attack.
For Bangladesh, one big blow could be that of Shakib Al Hasan who’s availability is a doubt for the side due to injury. Nonetheless they have the likes of Taijul Islam who is a specialist spinner and has played in Indian conditions before who could be roped into the side for the pacer, Nahid Rana.
