India-Bangladesh 2nd Test: Five players to watch out for

NEW DELHI: India have secured a 1-0 lead against Bangladesh in the two-match test series and will look to clean sweep the series which will boost their chances of making it into the final of the World Test Championships. The visitors don't have room for complacency and will look to dominate Bangladesh in Dhaka. While India ticked most boxes, the team will hope to see valuable knocks from stand-in captain KL Rahul and batter Virat Kohli. Bangladesh coach Rusell Domingo was gutted by the poor shot selections by the team's batters and will want the top-order to deliver. Ahead of the second test, let's take a look at five players to watch out for.

KL Rahul

The opener faced backlash after India's exit from the T20 World Cup and has blown hot and cold with the bat. He played a fluent 76-run knock in the first ODI. However, the next two matches saw him failing to make use of the starts he got. The stand-in captain started well in both innings of the first test but wasted the chance to get a big score. Rahul will be itching to find form and do justice to the immense talent he possesses.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz

The all-rounder was the difference between the two teams in the ODI series as he helped Bangladesh win the first two ODIs with brilliant contributions with the bat and the ball. Bangladesh would be hoping for Mehidy to carry the rich vein of form in the second test match and help the hosts level the series.

Virat Kohli

India's star batter could not make an impact in the first test and will be itching to put in a dominant performance in the second test. He scored a total of 20 runs in the first test. With the batter coming out of his slump in form during the T20 World Cup, he will be expected to deliver a match-winning performance in the second test.

Litton Das

Arguably, the best batter for Bangladesh in recent times, Litton has been phenomenal for the hosts in 2022. The right-hander played a fluent 24-run knock in the first test before being castled by Mohammed Siraj after an exchange of words. He was given a send-off by Siraj and Virat Kohli, which could fuel him to deliver a dominant performance in the second test match in Dhaka. He would want his bat to do the talking and help his team level the series.

Kuldeep Yadav

The left-hand chinaman made a terrific comeback to the test side after having reinvented his bowling style as he admitted in his post-match interview. He was declared the player of the match for his 8-wicket haul and a 40-run knock in the first inning. The spinner will be eyeing a confirmed spot in the white-ball setup with another masterclass of bowling.