Spin expected to dominate

One of the first things that Mushfiqur Rahim did after reaching the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium yesterday was check out the wicket.

He had a look at it for a few minutes and then headed towards a team shoot. Tamim Iqbal followed next and did the same thing and so did a few other players.

At the end of all the inspection, the team management believed that the wicket is going to end up assisting the spinners.

Speaking to reporters during the pre-match press conference Mushfiqur said: “The wicket seems as though it will turn after a while. At the same time it's very hard and it looks good for batting. The pace bowlers will get something early on and then the spinners will probably get a lot of turn after two days.”

“It's a pretty good wicket and now it depends on how we play. The spinners will play a big role here and so will the pacers. There may not be sideways movement, but the ball here tends to reverse,” explained Mushfiqur.

From a distance, there was a bit of grass visible on the wicket. However, Bangladesh's pacers like Taskin Ahmed and Kamrul Islam Rabbi reckon that the wicket would end up helping the spinners.

It therefore will not be a surprise if Bangladesh opts to play all three spinners -- Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam and Mehedi Hasan Miraz -- in the team and include just two pacers.

There have only been three Tests played at this venue -- two against New Zealand and one against Australia.

While New Zealand managed to draw the first Test in 2010, India ambled past both the teams in 2012 and 2013. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin played some crucial roles in those wins. New Zealand's former spin great Daniel Vettori also has a five-wicket haul here.