India vs Bangladesh, 2nd Test Day 2: The second day of the second Test between India and Bangladesh at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur was called off on Saturday due to relentless rain, with no play possible. Rohit Sharma, other players were spotted leaving the stadium in their team bus.
India is 1-0 up in the two-match Test series.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to X and posted, "Update from Kanpur Play has been called off for Day 2 due to rains. #TeamIndia | #INDvBAN | @IDFCFIRSTBank." Earlier, during the delay, team India left the Green Park Stadium as the start of the day two was hit by rain.
Officials announced the cancellation of play at 2:15 PM after attempts to prepare the pitch were thwarted by continued rain and poor visibility. Groundsmen deployed three super soppers to dry the field around 11:15 AM, but conditions did not improve.
On Friday, India had won the toss and opted to field for the first time in a home test since 2015. India won the first test in Chennai by 280 runs to lead the two-match series.
On the opening day of the Test, only 35 overs were bowled before rain curtailed play, leaving Bangladesh at 107 for three. India, who leads the two-match series 1-0 following a 280-run victory in the first Test in Chennai, opted to bowl first.
Bangladesh lost both openers—Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam—thanks to India's pacer Akash Deep, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.
With further rain forecast for Sunday, the match appears to be heading toward a draw. According to meteorologists, while rain is expected to persist through the weekend, conditions should clear up by Monday and Tuesday, potentially allowing for some cricket to be played.
If India does not get a win in the Test series against Bangladesh, it could make their journey towards a hat-trick of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in the UK a little more tight, requiring them to beat New Zealand in three-match home Test series (from October 16 onwards) and Australia in five-Test series away from home (from November 22 onwards) by much bigger score lines and margins.
With seven wins, two losses and a draw in 10 matches, India sits at the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings.
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das(w), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed.
(With agency inputs)
