Massive image: Can Bangladesh obtain one other first?
It’s time for India to mud the cobwebs off their whites as an extended Check season beckons. Having not performed a Check match in additional than six months, they’ll now play ten within the subsequent three-and-a-half, beginning with Bangladesh’s go to for a two-match sequence.
On paper, India can really feel bullish about their possibilities of toppling Bangladesh when the primary of the 2 Checks begins in Chennai on September 19. However this can be a Bangladesh group that prides itself in reaching firsts.
India’s batters have in current occasions proven vulnerability in opposition to high quality spinners, and in Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam, Bangladesh have three who can run by a batting line-up on their day.
Bangladesh are coming into this sequence on an absolute excessive and, with India doubtlessly rusty, will hope to catch them off guard.
Kind information
India: WWWWL (final 5 Checks, most up-to-date first)
Bangladesh: WWLLL
Within the highlight: Rishabh Pant and Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Crew information: Will India go along with three spinners?
India have largely tended to play three spinners and two quicks of their dwelling Checks, however they may very well be tempted to play three quicks in opposition to Bangladesh – as they did in each Checks within the 2019-20 sequence – on a red-soil Chepauk pitch that guarantees bounce and carry. Spin, although, is anticipated to play a significant function because the pitch bakes underneath the Chennai solar, so three spinners appears the likelier choice. On this case, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will lead the quick bowling unit, with R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav because the three spinners.
Moreover, KL Rahul is in line to return again into the Check fold for the primary time since a quadriceps harm reduce brief his sequence in opposition to England earlier this 12 months. He’ll probably exchange Sarfaraz Khan within the center order. In the meantime, Pant can be more likely to slot again into the wicketkeeper function instead of Dhruv Jurel, who performed the final three Checks in opposition to England.
India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 KL Rahul, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.
Bangladesh are unlikely to make too many tweaks to their successful taking part in XI from the second Check in Pakistan final month. They could additionally look to play three spinners. Bangladesh fielded Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana as their three quicks within the second Check in Rawalpindi, and the tempo trio picked up 14 of the 20 wickets they took, together with all ten within the second innings. However in Chennai, they might take into consideration bringing Taijul into the combo alongside Shakib and Mehidy.
Shakib arrived in Chennai late on Tuesday evening after taking part in a sport for Surrey within the County Championship.
Bangladesh (possible): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Islam, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Nahid Rana/Taijul Islam.
Pitch and circumstances: Count on the Chennai warmth to play an element
The Chennai pitch for the opening Check shall be a red-soil one and whereas there may very well be appreciable bounce and carry for each the quicks and spinners, the floor is more likely to break underneath the searing Chennai warmth. This may imply the spinners ought to come into play because the Check goes on. There’s an extreme warmth warning in Chennai for the time being, with temperatures more likely to be within the mid to excessive 30s (Celsius) vary.
Stats and trivia
- India are on a streak of 17 unbeaten dwelling Check sequence, which dates again to November 2012
- Jasprit Bumrah is the very best wicket-taker for India in Checks in 2024: 27 in 5 video games at 15.07
- With 1028 runs in simply 9 Checks, Yashasvi Jaiswal is second on the listing of high run-getters within the present WTC cycle. His common of 68.53 places him second behind Kamindu Mendis among the many high ten names on this listing.
- Pant averages 77.16 in opposition to spinners in Checks in India and strikes at 100.87.
- Mushfiqur Rahim averages 55.16 in Checks in India.
Quotes
“Bangladesh has bought some actually high quality cricketers. Shakib has bought the expertise. Mushfiqur has bought the expertise. You’ve got bought an excellent bowling assault as nicely. Mehidy is there as nicely. So we all know that there’s expertise in Bangladesh. However the vital factor is that we have to be switched on from ball one. And that’s what the expectations from all of us are in that dressing room.”
India head coach Gautam Gambhir is conscious of the threats Bangladesh possess
“We performed superb cricket in opposition to Pakistan, [but] that’s previous. It provides us lots of confidence, however we’re right here to play a brand new sequence and the dressing room believes we are able to play superb cricket. We’re not interested by the result, simply wish to observe the processes.”
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto doesn’t wish to dwell an excessive amount of on the previous
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
