India Prepares for Crucial 2nd Test Against Bangladesh at Kanpur

The Indian cricket team wasted no time in gearing up for the series after arriving in Kanpur on September 24 in preparation for the 2nd Test against Bangladesh, set to begin on Friday, September 27. Captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir conducted a thorough examination of the pitch conditions, aiming to assess how it might behave throughout the match.

Currently leading the series 1-0, India is on the hunt for a clean sweep against Bangladesh to solidify their impressive home record. In the opening Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India secured a significant victory, winning by 280 runs. Green Park has hosted a total of 23 Tests involving India, where they have enjoyed seven wins, faced three losses, and drawn 13 matches.

The last Test played in Kanpur took place during the 2021 series against New Zealand, concluding in a thrilling draw. On that occasion, India, captained by Ajinkya Rahane in Virat Kohli’s absence, chose to bat after winning the toss. Despite an early loss of Mayank Agarwal for just 13 runs, the innings found stability with a 61-run partnership between Shubman Gill (52) and Cheteshwar Pujara (26). However, debutant Shreyas Iyer stole the spotlight with an impressive century, scoring 105, aided by Ravindra Jadeja's 50 runs, pushing India to 345 in their first innings, with Ravichandran Ashwin contributing 38 runs.

New Zealand's bowlers, particularly Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson, shone during India’s innings, with Southee claiming five wickets by capitalising on the overcast conditions while Jamieson picked up three. Responding to India's total, New Zealand got off to a solid start, with openers Will Young (89) and Tom Latham (95) forming a strong 151-run partnership. The innings lost momentum after Ashwin dismissed Young and Axar Patel bowled out Latham just shy of his century. The middle order faltered, as Axar took five wickets and Ashwin three, eventually bowing out for 296 and leaving India with a narrow 49-run lead.

In their second innings, India stumbled initially, collapsing to 51/5 thanks to Southee and Jamieson's fine bowling. However, Shreyas Iyer (65) and Wriddhiman Saha (61) mounted a crucial rescue effort, leading India to declare at 234/7 and setting New Zealand a challenging target of 284 runs. New Zealand's chase was steep, and they found themselves precariously placed at 155/9, largely due to the efforts of Ashwin and Jadeja. Yet, debutant Rachin Ravindra (18) and Ajaz Patel (2) executed a dogged defence in the final overs, forcing the match to conclude in a tense draw due to bad light, just eight minutes before the end of play on the last day.