India captain Rohit Sharma shocked everyone at the toss ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. Many expected India to field three spinners due to the black soil pitch, known for aiding spin bowling. However, Rohit won the toss and chose to bowl first. He also stuck with an unchanged XI, retaining all three pacers – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep.
Rohit Sharma Surprises by Opting to Bowl First, Retains Unchanged XI
It appears that Rohit Sharma didn’t initially intend to field three seamers in Kanpur. Kuldeep Yadav was excluded from the first Test against Bangladesh. Before the match, he had an extensive practice session, suggesting he may have been in consideration for the playing XI. However, the overcast conditions at the Greenfield Stadium seem to have led Rohit and the team management to adjust their strategy.
Additionally, Rohit’s decision to bowl first at home marked the first time an Indian captain had done so in nine years. The last instance was in 2015 when Virat Kohli chose to bowl first against South Africa in Bengaluru, a match that ended in a draw.
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“We’ve decided to bowl first. The pitch appears to be a bit soft. It’s important for us to make early breakthroughs, and we want our three pacers to take advantage of that. In the first game, we didn’t start well with the bat. However, we found a way to score, and our bowlers performed well.I expect a similar fight from Bangladesh here, but we have the experience to respond,” Rohit said at the toss.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, on the other hand, was pleased with Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl, as he had wanted to bat first.
“We’re happy to bat first, that was our plan anyway. As batters, if we get a good start, we need to capitalize and put up a strong score. It looks like a good wicket for batting, but handling the new ball will be crucial. We’ve made two changes—Nahid and Taskin are out, with Taijul and Khaled coming in,” Shanto said.
India’s playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
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