What might have been. England could easily have been preparing for this Test on the back of defeat, with a side displaying manifest weaknesses, and with a tour of India around the corner having failed to arrange any practice matches before the first Test. Resting players, rotating the seamers and giving debuts to the next bright young things would have been the last thing on the minds of captain and coach, as they sought desperately to avoid an embarrassing series defeat against one of the weakest (but improving) sides in world cricket.
But they won. And that’s ultimately the point, for hard luck stories and what might have beens are always the refuge of the desperate. Bangladesh will – or at least should – feel they missed a real opportunity to beat England. Whether they can raise themselves to put in a similar display will perhaps be the biggest question of this match, and it would not be a surprise if England were to win comfortably given the narrow escape at Chittagong, even though there’s no reason to suppose so based on the performances.
It seems likely that the hosts will look to prepare a result pitch, not least because the weather forecast for Dhaka is iffy with a cyclone heading towards the city. It would be an immense shame if weather denied Bangladesh at least the opportunity of putting England under the same kind of pressure as they did first time round.
The ECB will deny it of course (don’t they always?) but this second Test was clearly intended to be a warm up fixture for the India series. The lack of any intervening practice matches between tours made that clear, and the rumours verging on fact from the press that changes will be made to the side make it abundantly clear where the priorities lie. Given the schedule, it’s understandable to do that, but Bangladesh can be forgiven if they feel a little slighted.
Zafar Ansari seems likely to be given a debut, probably at the expense of Gareth Batty, while the word is that Stuart Broad will make way for Steven Finn. The batting appears likely to remain unchanged, despite the status of Gary Ballance as the whipping boy of the media these days. England won despite the lack of contributions from Cook and Root, and however unfair it might be that Ballance copped the bulk of the stick, those two are the ones who will need to perform in India for England to have a chance. Jos Buttler it appears will have to wait for his chance.
Bangladesh are likely to be unchanged, with the requirement that they perform better all round than in the first match. Their batting line up is a decent one these days and plenty of them got starts in both innings. Converting that into substantial scores remains their biggest challenge, for they have the bowling to trouble anyone at home.
Chittagong was a terrific Test match, if we can have something similar this time, then it’ll be required viewing.
Day One Comments Below
Being Outside Cricket 
Broad is out, and Finn is in. The term used is “rested.” But was he rested or dropped? We will never know. If England had lost the first test would Broad have been rested? Who knows? As usual with England the top order batsman fail, and they drop a couple of bowlers. It’s a batsman game. Same as it always is.
My predication is a comfortable England win. I suspect Bangladesh had their chance first time round, and they missed out. If they can raise themselves and put in a performance good for them.
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The bookmakers don’t agree with you I’m afraid. Last week I backed Bangladesh at 6-1 to win. This week with the same company they have offered 7-2. I seem to recall Cook or maybe even Fairbrass saying that player rotation will happen and especially with the bowlers. This schedule is condensed that I guess it’s only sensible.
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Good for the bookmakers!
My point is, if you are the underdog, which Bangladesh are despite what the media say. (Bangladesh haven’t played a test match for a year.) and you get a chance to win, but fail it is very difficult to reproduce all that effort again so soon. 59 needed with 5 wickets left and that ends in failure is a big blow to your confidence. Also, Englands two best players, Cook and Root contributed nothing. Unlikely to keep happening.
You see it in FA cup football where the underdog gets a draw in the first match, and then gets hammered in the replay. I’m not saying Banladesh can’t win, just I wouldn’t bet any money on it. An certainly not at 7-2 against.
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I suspect that Broad is carrying an injury. Not that we will be told until post – career biogs are written. He did not seem to be running in at full speed in the 2nd innings.
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I suppose it is brilliant captaincy to let Bangladesh score at 5 runs / over, so that England will have more time in a fourth innings chase. Or something of the sort, since no criticism of Cook’s performance is allowed anywhere in the MSM.
Tamim has just made his 8th 50+ score against England in 11 innings. Bangladesh looking really good at the moment. In the context of the series it would be great if they could manage 400+.
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118/1 at lunch.
Woakes picking up the wicket of Imrul Kayes, the spinners going for plenty (albeit Rashid just got 2-0-11-0, as opposed to 6 for Ansari, who went for a run a ball in a six-over spell). Stokes pulling it back a touch (5-3-6-0).
Tamim and Monimul looking good. Bangladesh will be quite pleased with the opening session, and will be looking to build on this start.
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Bringing on Rashid as 6th choice was a masterstroke to protect his fragile temperament.
At least he got on ahead of Root which wasn’t the case with Panesar on one infamous occasion I can think of.
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Heh, thanks for the reminder. Literally the moment during the “difficult winter” when I went irrevocably nuclear and stayed there. The early morning Guardian thread after Melbourne probably includes some of my finest work!
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And we wonder where this doctrine that he is “fragile” comes from? Then the captain bowls him 6th choice. You don’t need to be Einstein to work it out.
Remember Simon Kerrigan at the Oval?
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Good news, I suppose. Ed Smith is no longer the most recent Oxbridge graduate to play for England.
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currently 194/3 after 49 overs. Not a bad start for Bangladesh and I hope they can push on and post a score that England have to work to chase (cause all the top order need to work). If they go for under 300 then I feel England think the middle order will get them there if the top fail. Higher than that and the top order need to come to the party.
on a slightly tangential note – the India tour test squad. (not seen this mentioned – so sorry if it has)
Hales omitted from the test squad?
is this because he was not setting the world on fire (but equally could have become good), or because he didn’t go to Bangladesh.
I have to think that he was still the opener of choice if he went to Bangladesh, therefore he would most likely have been the opener for India.
Is this Hales test career done and he is being saved for ODI’s, or is this a ‘slap’ for not going to Bangladesh (under the excuse of ‘he wasn’t doing great’)
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Headline announcement on Sky news yesterday was that he was dropped for not going to Bangladesh!
Read into that what you will.
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Hales wouldn’t have been picked for Bangladesh. He was given more games than Robson and Lyth and was yet to score a century.
Had he done well against Pakistan, then who knows.
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Massive collapse from Bangladesh in the hour before tea. 171/1 has become 201/5. With Moeen being lucky that Tamim was given by Dharmasena (out on umpire’s call), since Dharmasena has already made about a dozen incorrect decisions that have been overturned in this series.
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currently 215/9 – there goes my hope for a big score!!
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Wokes an Stokes are fast becoming the new Anderson and Broad. Captain lucky is very lucky indeed.
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That was one massive collapse. 9 for 49. Pathetic from Bangladesh. Some atrocious shots being played there.
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england lose 2 early wickets. Duckett & cook both gone 24/2
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England 24/2, with book Duckett and Cook gone. The latter on a review – and again Dharmasena made a plain wrong decision according to Hawkeye.
And just my internet went down, a few minutes later Ballance is gone. 42/3, not exactly the greatest reply ever ..
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Three down and scoring at over 4 RPO – which gives an accurate impression that the bowling has been a mixture of junk and jaffas.
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Did something happen to the usual blog space?
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See…
For those who are new, How Did We Lose In Adelaide was my old blog. The one that made Wisden. The one that kicked all this off.
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And we’re back in the room…
Again, I’d like to state my appreciation for all the unnecessary shit you have to go through with site management etc.
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Good to see you back.
So, does anyone know the actual numbers behind The Analyst’s Tweeted claim that ‘The Cricketer’ has just seen record sales?
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Westlife had more than twice as many UK number one singles as David Bowie, Prince, Motorhead, Earth, Wind and Fire and the Eagles *put together*.
Just saying, like.
RIP all.
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