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Big picture – tackling spin top of teams’ agenda

How to bat on this Mirpur pitch is a question that might be baffling both Bangladesh and West Indies ahead of the second ODI, to be played on Tuesday. The Bangladesh batters spent a long time in the middle, visualising, the day before the game, all standing in a circle, with head coach Phil Simmons providing the sermon. West Indies have suggested that they picked up a clue or two by watching their opponents in the first ODI, which produced just 340 runs in 88.4 overs.What’s for certain is that Bangladesh will double down on their spin-to-win strategy after they added Nasum Ahmed to the ODI squad. The left-armer picked up five wickets in three T20Is against Afghanistan recently, a tally bettered only by Rashid Khan in that series. He will complement Tanvir Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain, who took a six-wicket haul this weekend.Related

• 'I stuck to my process' – Rishad makes light work of dark pitch

Bangladesh, however, are looking for improvement in the batting. They put up a modest 207 in the first ODI, with Towhid Hridoy the only half-century-maker. Newcomer Mahidul Islam also made an important contribution (46 off 76). But, overall, Bangladesh batted slowly. They are yet to get out of the habit of playing too many dot balls and finding too few boundaries.West Indies will also look for batting improvement after getting bowled out for 133. Brandon King and Alick Athanaze went after the spinners in the first game but both of them fell to Rishad, and that was followed by a collapse. There was not much resistance from even the likes of Shai Hope and Roston Chase, the only batters in the line-up to have previous experience of playing ODIs in Bangladesh.The bowlers therefore will once again have to keep West Indies in the contest. Jayden Seales took three wickets while Khary Pierre, playing his first ODI in five years, bowled well for just one wicket. But Chase and Gudakesh Motie have to get among the wickets, especially in these conditions.

Form guide

Bangladesh WLLLL
West Indies LWWLLRishad Hossain picked up six wickets in the first ODI•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight – Rishad Hossain and Brandon KingRishad Hossain coming to Bangladesh’s rescue both with the bat and the ball in the first ODI is exactly what is expected of him. Six wickets and a quick 26 would be too much to ask of him every day, but a legspinner has to provide breakthroughs where other bowlers fail. Another bag of wickets could bring the ODI series to a favourable end for his team.Brandon King was one of the few West Indies batters to show a positive mindset in the first ODI. He struck boundaries with ease until Rishad had him caught behind for 44 off 60. As long as King was at the crease, West Indies had hope. He added 51 runs for the opening stand with Athanaze, who also attacked the Bangladesh spinners while the ball was new. King, though, carried on for a bit more. The problem was King getting out after getting set, something he can’t afford to do.

Team news – WI lose Shamar, Blades to injuries

Bangladesh usually rotate their fast bowlers every game so Hasan Mahmud or Tanzim Hasan Sakib are likely call-ups.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Soumya Sarkar, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mahidul Islam, 6 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanA day out from the game, West Indies appeared likely to trust the same batters to do better on this difficult Dhaka pitch. Can they cope with the injury-enforced absences of Shamar Joseph and Jediah Blades? Akeal Hosein and Ramon Simmonds have been added to the squad as their replacements for the remaining two ODIs.West Indies (probable): 1 Brandon King, 2 Alick Athanaze, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt, wk), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Gudakesh Motie, 8 Justin Greaves, 9 Romario Shepherd, 10 Khary Pierre, 11 Jayden SealesKhary Pierre came away with figures of 10-2-19-1 on Saturday•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions – complexion of the pitch in focus

There is unlikely to be much change in the pitch, which looked unusually dark, for the second ODI. There is dry weather in the forecast.

Stats and trivia – Pierre returns after five years

• Tanvir Islam bowled his most expensive over in international cricket in the first ODI, when he conceded 18 runs.
• Bangladesh used just seven (of 39) overs of pace in the first ODI, only the fifth occasion they have bowled seven or fewer overs in a match that they won.
• Khary Pierre returned to the West Indies playing XI after missing 73 ODIs since January 2020.

Quotes

“It is a lot of pressure if you don’t do well on these kind of surfaces. I just try to keep it simple and stick to my plans. I think once you put the ball in the right areas and do not go wicket-hunting, I think it will be the best suitable for the wicket. You can leak runs if you try to go wicket-hunting.”

Usman Khawaja is confident of being fit for the second Test in Brisbane but could have landed himself in hot water after describing the Perth pitch on day one of the first Ashes encounter as “s***”.Khawaja was unable to open in either innings of the opening Test having initially been caught out by England’s rapid collapse on the first afternoon and then suffering a recurrence after jumping for an attempted catch in the slips on the second day.With his time off the field having not elapsed when Australia began their first innings, Marnus Labuschagne went in alongside debutant Jake Weatherald with Steven Smith then forced to move to No. 3.Related

• Cricket Australia to ask Khawaja for explanation of 's***' pitch comments

• How the Gabba Test pitch will perform under lights

• Perth pitch rated 'very good' by ICC

• Perth boss: Aus, Eng should have played extra game

• Cummins set to miss Brisbane Test, Australia name XIV

Khawaja then came out at No. 4 but could only make two runs before edging a rising delivery from Brydon Carse. He was one of 19 wickets to fall on the opening day, which followed 17 on the first day of the corresponding Test against India last year, but the ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle rated the surface “very good”.”Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that’s a great wicket – that seems real fair,” Khawaja said at an event for his Usman Khawaja Foundation, a charity which helps support children from diverse, rural and low socio-economic backgrounds.”The same thing happened last year in the Indian Test, it’s just that day one wicket, the ball just does not react. Steve Smith’s by far the best cricketer I’ve ever played with and he’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way – he does not miss the middle of his bat. He’s getting hit in the elbow, he’s getting hit.””You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest – sideways is a little bit easier but up and down your hands can’t catch up. So day one wicket at [Perth] is a piece of s***, I’m happy to say that. It has been last year, it was this year.”They do get better. Day two, day three, and then day four, they start to crack up.”Usman Khawaja ahead of what could be his final Test series•Getty Images

Quite what conditions will be served up for the day-night Test at the Gabba remain to be seen, but Khawaja was confident he would be able to take his place in the XI although Travis Head’s spectacular 123 in his absence has sparked a debate about which way Australia should go.”I feel good,” he said. “I’d never experienced it before, but the last few days have been good. I’ve never had back spasms before, so it’s been quite new for me. I’ve been quite lucky. I’m 39 years old [on December 18] and have always had a pretty solid back. Rachel, my wife, has been taking care of me – she’s been letting me sleep in a fair bit actually, I’ve really been taking advantage of it. I should be right.”Recounting the events of the opening day in Perth, which at one stage saw Smith frantically waving to the dug out, Khawaja said he was trying all he could to be available to open.”I went off knowing I still wanted to open; I don’t want to bat anywhere else,” Khawaja said. “I went off, and I think they [England] were six down, and we just went bang, bang, wicket.”I rushed back on, and then we take the next two wickets. That was the frustrating part for me, but I had no other option. I had anti-inflammatories, really strong ones. I had real strong painkillers all through that time – even in the morning – and got myself to a place where I could actually field again.”Khawaja revealed the lengths he was ready to go to in case he was needed to bat during the chase, but Head’s onslaught made it a moot point. “I’m really glad that we got [the match] done that night, because the next day, I already had the radiology booked,” he said. “I was going to get an epidural in my back, so I can actually move somewhat. I had it booked in, ready to go, so if the team needed me, I was there again.”