On Thursday, for a significant 26 minutes in the conference room of Green Park Stadium, all eyes were on Shakib Al Hasan. The veteran Bangladeshi all-rounder dropped a revelation – he had finalized discussions with the board chief and selectors to bring an end to his Test career. Shakib, the most celebrated cricketer in Bangladesh’s history, expressed his desire for a grand farewell in Mirpur, his home ground. However, prevailing political conditions could render this dream out of reach. Consequently, the upcoming Test match in Kanpur, starting on Friday, might very well mark his swansong in Test cricket.
While Shakib’s potential retirements add an emotional layer to the Test, left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav on the Indian side eagerly anticipates his first international game on home turf in his seven-year career. Both players are hoping for a grand occasion, be it a poignant farewell for Shakib or a warm welcome for Kuldeep. However, these aspirations hinge on whether the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association can counter the weather forecasts predicting rain over the first three days.
Green Park, a venue of numerous historic moments in Indian cricket, presents a visual reminiscent of a quintessential 1990s Indian stadium, albeit with fewer charms. Concerns have been raised regarding its readiness – a stand notorious for its crowd management issues, practice nets perilously close to the boundary ropes, and flawed floodlights from the last Test match hosted there. Despite these criticisms, the venue director asserts that Green Park is prepared to host the second Test against Bangladesh, with necessary clearances in place and record crowd numbers expected.
Behind the scenes, even the hosts, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, have recognized the venue’s inadequacies. They’ve shifted numerous high-profile matches to the newer Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, which boasts modern amenities and a superior drainage system. Notably, a brief eight-minute drizzle had previously rendered Green Park unplayable for an entire day during a Duleep Trophy match seven years ago. This time, the venue director is confident, sighting improved countermeasures such as extensive tarpaulin sheets, two super-soppers, and self-assured assertions about the quality of their drainage system.
But the incoming weather isn’t their only concern. The stadium’s exterior walls, littered with paan masala advertisements and their red-stained aftermath, are now being freshly painted. Alongside this aesthetic upgrade, there have been protests from right-wing groups calling for a halt to play with Bangladesh, which were quelled only recently. If that wasn’t enough, there has even been a monkey intrusion in the stadium complex. Assuring the media, the venue director mentioned, with a hint of humor, that langurs have been called in to deal with the monkey menace.
Unveiling their grand plan of hosting the ‘Shine Green Park’ Test, the organizers indulged in much table-thumping. Rajiv Shukla’s contributions to Kanpur cricket were particularly highlighted, followed by an appeal for louder applause. Expressing disappointment over doubts concerning their preparedness, the organizers called for extensive public support to fill the stands, emphasizing the significance of this match – only the second Test held at the venue in the past eight years.
For the venue director, this five-day cricket match transcends the sport itself. It’s a matter of pride for Kanpur.
. In a touching tribute, families of martyrs from the surrounding regions will be invited and celebrated. Each of their sacrifices to the nation will be honored with a tree planted in their name, with the dual intention of making “Green Park even greener.”
Elaborating on the theme, the director emphasized, “This Test match will be played on the theme of ‘Shine Green Park,’ ‘Shine Kanpur.” He reiterated that the game marks the development (‘vikas’) of Green Park and Kanpur alike, flaunting staggering ticket sales that have surpassed previous records – INR 1.15 Crore, against INR 93 lakh from the last event.
All eyes will be on the field come Friday, as Bangladesh aims to level the series against a formidable Indian team amidst its own challenges. With the spotlight potentially set to shift towards Shakib and Kuldeep, it might turn out to be a game of significant moments for both cricketers. Despite the looming threat of rain interfering, the focus will ideally remain on the cricket – a positive signal for the players, the stadium, the organizers, and indeed Test cricket as a whole.
When: Starting Friday, September 27, 2024, 9:30 AM IST
Where: India vs Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Green Park, Kanpur
What to expect: Rain is expected to play a part in the first three days. Overcast conditions across the five days would offer some assistance to the pacers on a pitch that is otherwise expected to stay low and turn quite early.
Team News:
India: Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah opted out of the optional practice session prior to the game. India might field three spinners, possibly including Kuldeep Yadav in place of a pacer.
Probable XI: 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: The team missed practice due to rain a day before the game. Shakib had limited net sessions, facing barely ten deliveries due to an unspecified discomfort. The coach reported no alerts from the team physio about Shakib’s unavailability, and Bangladesh might also contemplate an additional spinner for their line-up.
Probable XI: 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
Statements:
Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s star all-rounder, said, “In this Test match, if we can score 350 or somewhere there, I think that will be a huge improvement. 350 to 400 in the first innings will give us a lot of confidence and boost our team.”
India’s assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar, commented, “I don’t know which surface we are going to play on yet. But both the pitches look pretty good. Kanpur is often known to have good pitches. I am not sure about the bounce yet. With the conditions and the forecast, it is going to be interesting as to how when we turn up to go in the morning, the conditions are. A lot will depend on that. It is too early for us to judge and decide or have any sort of thought process on the pitch or the conditions.”