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India Wins Toss, Opts to Bowl First Against Bangladesh
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, won the toss and chose to field first in the second and final Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur on Friday. With the hosts leading the two-match series 1-0, they maintained an unchanged lineup, relying on three seamers to exploit the overcast conditions following overnight rain that delayed the start by an hour due to a wet outfield.
Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, made two changes ahead of the match, marking what could be former captain Shakib Al Hasan's final appearance in Test cricket. Fast bowler Khaled Ahmed and left-arm spinner Taijul Islam replaced Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed.
Shakib expressed a desire for his Test farewell to take place at home in Mirpur during the upcoming series against South Africa. However, the Proteas are still evaluating safety concerns following recent political turmoil in Bangladesh that saw the ousting of autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina last month. Shakib, 37, is currently facing serious allegations, including murder charges, alongside other members of Hasina’s party linked to a violent crackdown on protesters.
Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Faruque Ahmed acknowledged the challenges of player safety, stating that it is beyond the board's control. Meanwhile, Najmul expressed optimism about batting first, hoping for an improved performance from his side after their heavy 280-run defeat in Chennai.
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.
Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed.
Umpires: Chris Brown (NZL), Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
TV Umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)