Focus on spin as Windies look to square series

Overview

Bangladesh v Windies
2nd Test
Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka
Friday, 30 November, 9am local time, 3am GMT

Bangladesh fielded just one frontline pacer in the first Test, in Chittagong – Mustafizur Rahman. He bowled a grand total of four overs in the whole game, as their spinners did all the damage to give the home side a 64-run win in a low-scoring game.

With Shakib Al Hasan back in the saddle, Taijul Islam in the form of his life, Mehidy Hasan turning it big, and newbie Nayeem Hasan, a 17-year-old off-spinner, starting his career with a five-wicket haul, the plan for Bangladesh will likely be to subject the Windies to more of the same treatment.

The update from the camp is that Imrul Kayes will not be around following an injury, which might mean a debut for 23-year-old left-hand bat Shadman Islam at the top of the order alongside Soumya Sarkar. Wicket-keeper Liton Das has also been called up to the squad as cover for Mushfiqur Rahim, who has a finger injury, and so may be ruled out or only available as a specialist bat.

There will also be some focus on Sarkar, who got a chance to play his 11th Test after a gap of over a year because of the injury-enforced absence of Tamim Iqbal, but managed just 0 and 11. The rest of the unit did what was asked of them – Mominul Haque standing out with his 120 in the first innings – and Shakib will expect the same one more time.

Even as Bangladesh look to stamp their authority following the 1-1 series against Zimbabwe earlier, the Windies, who are being led by Kraigg Brathwaite following the injury to Jason Holder, will hope to move to the limited-overs leg of the series with honours shared.

In the more familiar environs of North Sound and Kingston, they beat Bangladesh by an innings and 219 runs and 166 runs in July, but have since lost three in a row – two in India and one in Chittagong.

There's no Holder, but that can’t be helped. Importantly for them, Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach more than held their own in the first Test, and the spin department – Devendra Bishoo, Jomel Warrican and Roston Chase – did appreciably well.

The struggle has been with the bat. Shimron Hetmyer and Shane Dowrich hit 60s and Chase 31 in the first innings in Chittagong, but there was little resistance bar Sunil Ambris’s 43, Hetmyer’s 27 and Warrican’s swish-and-swing 41 in the second innings as they folded for 139.

Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope and Chase, the experienced men, must take more of the load if the Windies are to push Bangladesh hard. Against the home team’s formidable spin attack, it won’t be easy.

Key players

**Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh):**Shakib came back from injury, had hardly enough time to train, but got in the middle, scored 34 in the first innings, picked up five wickets, and led his team to a win. He will be fitter for the second Test, and being the best player of his team, will want to dominate.

**Shimron Hetmyer (Windies):**The 21-year-old batsman has emerged as the Windies big hope in recent times, scoring runs across formats, and scoring them in style. He looked in good touch in the first Test, and will be the key to the Windies negotiating the spin threat and putting up good scores.

Conditions

It should be bright and sunny, and not too hot, in Dhaka when the two teams get out there. There are runs to be scored on the Mirpur pitch, especially on the first two-three days, and countering spin will be tough after that, so the team winning the toss will want to bat first.

Squads
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Soumya Sarker, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmud Ullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Naeem Hasan, Ariful Haque, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shadman Islam

Windies: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jahmar Hamilton, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Shermon Lewis, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican