Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
Pitch conditions in Kanpur are expected to be different to those in Chennai, where India prevailed by 280 runs. For the first time since 1982, a team won the toss and chose to bowl, and Bangladesh reaped the rewards early courtesy of seam movement and good bounce. In Kanpur, expect the team who wins the toss to bat without hesitation.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the Green Park surface will be flatter in nature with lower bounce due to black-soil content, as opposed to the red soil used for the Chepauk surface.
A black soil pitch is made up of higher clay content which helps the surface absorb more water. This should make for good batting conditions on the first few days, although humid, mostly cloudy weather from days one to three could aid swing.
Kanpur pitch likely to see different team combinations
Both India and Bangladesh could field an extra spinner in their respective XIs. If India choose this route, Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav will come in for one of the fast bowlers depending on how the hosts wish to manage their workloads. Bangladesh have a bigger headache with Shakib Al Hasan in doubt due to an injury to his left index finger. Offspinner Nayeem Hasan and left-arm orthodox spinner Taijul Islam are available for selection.
The last Test on this ground was in 2021. New Zealand held out for a thrilling draw in a game where scoring runs quickly was not easy. Shreyas Iyer stood out with 105 at a strike rate of 61.40, but New Zealand scored at 2.07 runs per over in their first innings and India at 2.88 in their second. Tom Latham batted for a total of 428 balls in the Test.
Bowlers may have to toil for longer periods once again, with straight lines and fields the key. Also, reverse swing may not be as prevalent because of the larger clay content as opposed to red soil which breaks up more as the Test goes on.
Bounce will be low and turn may not be available right away. So, an opportunity awaits for the batsmen to spend some time at the crease.