IND vs BAN: Coach Hathurusinghe in ‘no doubt’ over Shakib’s availability for Kanpur Test amid finger injury concerns

Shakib sustained a finger injury during the series opener in Chennai while batting when a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah hit him.

Shakib Al Hasan sustained a finger injury during the series opener in Chennai while batting when a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah hit him.  | Photo Credit: AP

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe rubbished speculations over Shakib Al Hasan’s finger injury and insisted that the star all-rounder will be available for selection in the second Test against India at the Green Park Stadium.

“There is no doubt. At the moment I have not heard anything about any sort of injury - neither from the physio, nor from anyone else. And, he is eligible for selection,” Hathurusinghe said on Wednesday.

Shakib sustained a finger injury during the series opener in Chennai while batting when a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah hit him. The seasoned campaigner did not bowl from a long period of time, and rolled his arms for just 21 overs across two innings.

While he scored 32 and 25 in the first Test against India, Shakib’s form, of late, has been an area of concern. In the two match-series against Pakistan last month, Shakib amassed 38 runs in three innings. “I’m not upset about his performance, but our overall performance. We all know what he (Shakib) is capable of,” Hathurusinghe said.

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“I think he batted really well in the second innings (in Chennai). He couldn’t go on, not because of lack of pride but for the sheer quality of the opposition…”

Moving on from its traditional nature of being a ‘spin friendly surface’, the Green Park wicket, this time around, is likely to offer something for the seamers as well. Hathurusinghe, however, indicated that with ‘two big surfaces’ ready, a final call on the surface is likely to be taken on the eve of the game.

After winning its first-ever Test series against Pakistan last month, Bangladesh suffered an embarrassing defeat in the opener against India, but ahead of the series decider, the head coach believes that playing for the country should be the biggest motivation for the team.

“For me, the motivation is playing for your country. But there’s a difference between motivation and you not playing according to your potential. We learned that from the last game,” Hathurusinghe added.