India are likely to make at least one change to their starting XI for the second Test match against Bangladesh. The pitch at Green Park, Kanpur, is made of black soil and is likely to provide more help to the spinners than the fast bowlers.
The pitch at Kanpur is totally different from that at Chennai, where the first Test was played. Red soil was used in the first Test as it offered bounce and good seam movement for all the fast bowlers.
Bangladesh bowler Hasan Mahmud took five wickets in the first innings while Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets in the first innings. The other bowlers of both teams also participated in the game.
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Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in the scheme of things
But the Kanpur pitch will help the bowlers and India are likely to bring in one more bowler to add to their lethal bowling duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. This means that India are likely to have three specialist bowlers for the match.
The Indian Express reported that on the orders of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) CEO Ashish Bhowmick, no grass will be left on the pitch. The pitch will be suitable for batting and will help the bowlers as the game progresses.
As a result, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel are in the scheme of things. One of these two bowlers is likely to get a match. Kanpur is Kuldeep Yadav’s home ground in domestic cricket, which may prompt the selectors to opt for his left-arm wrist spinner.
Kuldeep Yadav also brings variations to the team with a wrist-spin option. When the wicket is flat, he has the ability to make things happen with his skills. Kuldeep Yadav was impressive in India’s last Test series against England where he picked up 19 wickets in 4 Tests at an average of 20.15.
On the other hand, India also has the option of playing Axar Patel. While the inclusion of Axar Patel will not provide India with variety in their bowling attack, it will surely strengthen the batting line-up.
Over the years, Axar Patel has developed into a quality all-rounder capable of delivering match-winning performances with both bat and ball across all formats. On slower pitches, he can be a challenge with his angle and pace.
Which player will leave his place?
The inclusion of an extra bowler also means that one of the players who will not be playing in the starting XI will be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. All of these fast bowlers had their moments during the first Test, with Bumrah being the standout.
Bumrah picked up five wickets in Chennai in two innings while Siraj and Akash Deep picked up two wickets each. But unfortunately, one of them will have to sit out. Currently, Akash Deep seems to be the option who will be left out unless India opt to rest Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah is currently India’s spearhead and one of the most important players in the team. The right-arm fast bowler has been performing exceptionally well across formats in the last few months and will be a key player in the upcoming matches against New Zealand and Australia.