Spin on the cards as Tigers chase series
Following a maiden win on home soil against the West Indies in the first Test in Chattogram, Bangladesh will be eying their first ever home series win against the Caribbean side and their second since 2009 when the teams lock horns in the second and series-deciding encounter at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today.
Action on the first day will get underway from 9:30am.
The hosts will once again bank heavily on spin to slice through the West Indies batting. There were four specialist spinners in the side in Chattogram and it is unlikely that the Tigers will change tack in the second Test.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan also said that the Tigers would go in with an attacking mindset and urged his charges to play their natural game.
It will be interesting to see the team combination after Mushfiqur Rahim, a double-centurion in the last Test played in Mirpur earlier this month, injured his right thumb while batting on Wednesday. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who was still experiencing pain yesterday, is however expected to play.
The team management will assess his condition just before the start of the game today and it was learned that Mushfiqur may not keep wicket, with late inclusion Liton Das expected to stand behind the stumps.
Liton's inclusion means Mohammad Mithun might have to make way while uncapped opening batsman Shadman Islam is all set to make his debut and open the innings with Soumya Sarkar.
Bangladesh are expected to go in with four spinners once again, with Shakib leading the attack alongside Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and young Nayeem Hasan, who broke into the record books by being the youngest bowler to pick five wickets on debut in Chattogram.
According to sources close to the team, left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman -- who bowled just four overs in the first Test as the lone pacer -- is likely to be replaced by seam-bowling all-rounder Ariful Haque.
If picked, Ariful -- who made his debut against Zimbabwe earlier this month -- is also expected to perform the seamer's role and it is expected that the Mirpur pitch will offer a lot of purchase for the spinners.
West Indies, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back but will be hampered by the absence of feared pacer Shannon Gabriel, who was suspended because of a collision with dropped Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes. They too will have to rely on their spinners to deny what could be Bangladesh's fourth series win in 18 years of playing Tests.