Bangladesh was predicted to mount a more formidable challenge to India in Chennai after defeating Pakistan in two straight Test matches. But they were unsuccessful, falling short in the opening game of the two-game series by a commanding 280 runs.
Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, claimed that although the batsmen may have done better, they were unable to do so. In the upcoming Kanpur match, he hopes the batters would perform to their merit.
Choosing to bowl first after winning the toss was Bangladesh’s first unexpected move; this decision has not been made in Chennai since 1982. Najmul stated that they hoped to take advantage of the wet pitch in the early hours of the day.
Bangladesh’s choice to have three pacers in their lineup paid off vs Pakistan. They undoubtedly followed suit in India, anticipating the same outcome. Ultimately, though, the choice proved to be unwise.
Former cricket player and Indian cricket guru Sanjay Manjrekar believes a three-pacer assault is not the best strategy against India. He says that with India’s inability to cope with spin when the pitch turns a little, Bangladesh would have been better off with another spinner.
As an expert for ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay stated, “You don’t want to play three seamers when you play in India.” “Even if you receive a green pitch on the first three or four days, the pitch becomes more spin-friendly by then, promoting more spin. So, I believe that two seamers is sufficient.
Additionally, Sanjay stated that he believes Taijul Islam would be included in the upcoming Text, which will begin in Kanpur on September 27. The former Indian cricket player added that he would like to see improvements made to Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Litton Das’s lean performance.
“Mushfqiur Rahim, Shakib… I understand that they are not young because they have been in the industry for a long time, but Mushfiqur and Litton Das in particular need to have a stronger mental toughness when a major series comes along, Sanjay added.
Mushfiqur batted against India at an average of above 50 before this series. However, he did not react when the team needed him most during the most recent Test in Chennai.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s sixth Test century helped India reach 376 in the first innings of the Chennai Test. Even though India amassed a large score, Bangladeshi spinner Hasan Mahmud stole the show with his second five-for, marking the first time a bowler from his country has done so against India.
Over the past few series, Bangladesh’s pacers have been impressive, but the hitters have been patchy. They responded by scoring a meager 149 in their opening over, but this only served to send them further down and away from contention. India took control of the game with a 227-run advantage in the first innings.
Bangladeshi hitters will therefore need to play as planned if they are to have a good outcome in the second Test in Kanpur. They won’t have much left over from this series if they are unable to accomplish this once more.
