As India and Bangladesh prepare to face off in the second Test of the two-match series, starting on Friday, September 27, at Green Park in Kanpur, several players are on the verge of reaching significant milestones. India leads the series 1-0 after a dominant 280-run victory in Chennai, where Ravi Ashwin shone with both bat and ball, scoring a century and taking a five-wicket haul on his home ground.
Ravindra Jadeja contributed with a vital knock in the first innings and supported Ashwin with the ball. Yashasvi Jaiswal also delivered a fighting half-century amidst a top-order collapse. For Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud made history by becoming the first Tigers’ bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in Tests on Indian soil.
As Bangladesh looks to bounce back in the must-win Test, they might consider bringing in Taijul Islam, their premier spinner, who missed the first game. Shakib Al Hasan, who recently announced his retirement from Test cricket, will aim to regain form and play freely. India, meanwhile, may opt to include Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav, depending on the conditions in Kanpur.
Key Milestones to Watch in the IND vs BAN 2nd Test:
- 129 Runs: Virat Kohli needs 129 runs to reach 9,000 Test runs, becoming the fourth Indian batter to achieve this milestone after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.
- 1 Wicket: R Ashwin requires one wicket to become the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in the fourth innings of Test cricket, joining legends like Shane Warne, Nathan Lyon, Rangana Herath, and Muttiah Muralitharan.
- 35 Runs: Kohli needs 35 runs to complete 27,000 runs across all formats in international cricket, joining Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, and Ricky Ponting in the elite club.
- 78 Runs: Ashwin is 78 runs away from becoming only the second player to achieve the double of 3,500+ runs and 500+ wickets in Test cricket, after England's Stuart Broad.
- 87 Runs: Mushfiqur Rahim needs 87 runs to become the first Bangladeshi batter to score 6,000 runs in Test cricket.
- 7 Fours: Kohli needs seven boundaries to become the fifth Indian batter to hit 1,000 fours in Test cricket, joining Tendulkar, Dravid, Virender Sehwag, and VVS Laxman.
- 4 Wickets: Mehidy Hasan Miraz is four wickets away from becoming the fourth Bangladeshi bowler to claim 300 international wickets, after Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, and Mustafizur Rahman.
- 5 Wickets: Taijul Islam needs five more wickets to reach 200 Test wickets, becoming only the second Bangladeshi bowler, after Shakib Al Hasan, to achieve this feat.
- 99 Runs: KL Rahul is 99 runs short of 3,000 Test runs.
These individual achievements add an extra layer of intrigue to what promises to be an exciting contest in Kanpur.