We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on the recent performances, overall impact, and credit points.
Probable XIs
Given Shakib Al Hasan’s shoulder injury, he bowled only 12 overs in the first innings and none in the second. Hence, Bangladesh have included left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed in the squad, but at whose expense he will play is something we will know at the toss.
Bangladesh: Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain
India: Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Pitch Report
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
1st innings average score: 341
2nd innings average score: 317
3rd innings average score: 231
4th innings average score: 180
Type: Good for batting. Gets better for spinners as the game progresses.
Weather: Clear.
Wins
Batting 1st: 52%
Batting 2nd: 34%
Fantasy Tip of the Day
Batters equipped with a strong technique against spinners thrive at the venue.
Smart Picks
With 1,500 runs at an impressive average of 46, Mushfiqur Rahim is the highest run-scorer at the venue. Against India, he has amassed 569 runs in a mere 7 Tests, including 2 hundreds.
Taijul Islam often kept the Indians on the backfoot with tight lengths. 2 of his 4 wickets were that of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. At the venue, his numbers make a great reading: 54 wickets in 11 games.
Cheteshwar Pujara was the best player against spin in the opening encounter, eventually managing scores of 90 and 110*. In the subcontinent conditions, he averages a whopping 65.
If Pujara could successfully negate the turn with his nimble footwork on most occasions, Shreyas Iyer counterattacked the spinners. In 6 Tests, he has already collected a hundred and 4 fifties.
Kuldeep Yadav, the Player of the Match, picked 97 fantasy points with both bat and ball. He complemented his 40 runs with match figures of 8 for 113. Nothing less would be expected of him throughout this red-ball season.
R Ashwin may not have shone with the ball, but he did not disappoint the fantasy players. It was his knock of 58 down the order that steadied India’s innings and took them to a respectable total. With the ball versus Bangladesh, he has managed 17 wickets in 5 matches.
Shubman Gill often gets good starts, but he levelled up his game at Chattogram and registered his maiden Test hundred. He waited for bad deliveries and composed a solid knock of 110* off 152.
Talking of solidity, Zakir Hasan got on India’s nerves with a patient stroke play on debut. Before coming into this game, he had registered a knock of 173 against India A. He is reputed for playing a long innings.
Shakib Al Hasan is unlikely to bowl, but he remains Bangladesh’s key performer with the bat. At the venue, he has slammed a hundred and 11 fifties.
