India vs Bangladesh 2019, 2nd Test: 3 players to watch out for
The second Test between India and Bangladesh will begin on 22 November. Virat Kohli’s men thrashed their opponents in the opening match and now, they will try to whitewash the visitors by repeating the same performance in Kolkata.
While Bangladesh did not trouble India much in Indore, the pink ball could possibly create difficulties for the home team at Eden Gardens. This is the first time that the two nations will take part in a day-night Test, and both the players and the fans are understandably excited about the contest.
Mayank Agarwal stole the show in the last match with his double hundred, while vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a half-ton each. India's batting lineup will be under particular scrutiny as very few of their batsmen have the experience of playing pink-ball cricket.
The same goes for the Mominul Haque-led outfit, as they look to end their tour on a winning note.
Against that background, here are the three players to watch out for in the second Test:
#1 Virat Kohli
This will be India's last Test before their New Zealand tour, and captain Kohli will try to get some runs under his belt ahead of the overseas assignment. The Delhi-born superstar scored a rare duck at the Holkar Stadium but given how talented he is, we can expect him to bounce back in style at Eden Gardens.
Kohli has been practicing with the pink ball in the nets, but it will be interesting to see how he performs on the pitch against the likes of Abu Jayed and Al-Amin Hossain. The pink ball will offer more assistance to the pace bowlers and the Indian skipper will face a tough challenge, but we know he will be up for it.
#2 Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh's most experienced player, waged a lone battle against the hosts in his side's ICC World Test Championship opener. Rahim emerged as the top scorer in both the innings, with scores of 43 and 64.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was batting magnificently in the first innings before a classic in-swinger from Mohammed Shami rattled his stumps.
Rahim would have to be particularly careful about his technique against the in-swingers because the pink ball will swing even more. If Bangladesh want to give Kohli's men a run for their money, then Rahim needs to play a special knock in the second Test.
#3 Mohammed Shami
The Indian right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami has formed a fantastic partnership with his teammates Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav, as the trio have been regularly decimating opposition batting line-ups even in home Tests. While Ishant and Yadav will be significant factors at Kolkata, all eyes will be on Shami because he has played a lot of cricket at this venue.
In fact, Shami even made his Test debut for India at the Eden Gardens. The 29-year-old fast bowler could emerge as the game-changer for the home side in the historic day-night Test.