The toss for the second Test between India and Bangladesh at Green Park Stadium was delayed due to a wet outfield following overnight rain. The inspection scheduled for 9:30 am wasn't uplifted by clear skies above Kanpur, thereby creating uncertainty over the start of play.
However, despite an overcast sky, a considerable crowd of nervous supporters waits in queues outside the stadium, hoping that the action would start off soon.
The wet outfield has now thrown up questions over the drainage system at the venue, although that especially was a concern when it was deemed this section of the stands was not good enough to be put to use ahead of the game. Match referee Jeff Crowe could be seen holding a conversation with the Indian captain Rohit Sharma in his training kit as they were assessing the situation on the ground.
India could play Kuldeep Yadav, as the match will be played on a black soil pitch that usually responds well to spin, and overnight rain could have increased chances of Kuldeep Yadav's presence in the Indian playing XI. The pitch should start helping spinners after the first two days, so the R Ashwin-Ravindra Jadeja show, and then, of course, there's a match between Kuldeep Yadav and AB de Villiers.
Jadeja has 299 Test wickets and needs only one more to equal the feat, thus making him the second-fastest player in Test history to achieve the double of 300 wickets and 3,000 runs.
India have a good record at Green Park Stadium; their last defeat here was way back in 1983 when West Indies won under Clive Lloyd. The ground has rarely played host to Test cricket lately, so this will be only the second Test in the last eight years. Still, Green Park is steeped in history, making this a special event for local fans.
Possible XIs:
India:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj/Jasprit Bumrah
Bangladesh:
Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed/Nahid Rana, Taijul Islam
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