India brace for Bangladesh challenge in Chennai

In seasons past, the start of an Indian Test season with a two-match series against Bangladesh would have possibly been viewed with a degree of amusement. But in 2024, with Bangladesh coming to India after sweeping Pakistan 2-0, and with the hosts not having played a Test in six months, the equation is rather different.

After 43 days of no cricket, India return to action with a heavy Test season as favourites, but with a few unanswered questions. Can they shake off six months of rustiness – their last Test was in March – and improve on the very evident problems against spin? How will Virat Kohli fare in his first Test in over nine months? Who is the safer bet at No 5: KL Rahul or Sarfaraz Khan? How will Rishabh Pant fare in his return to Test cricket after 20 months? Which fast bowler is the likeliest to take the load off Jasprit Bumrah? Is Shubman Gill actually a long-term No 3? Can India arrest their issues against spin? 

Chennai and Kanpur are the venues for Bangladesh’s visit – their third overall – and, no matter what Rohit Sharma says, these two Tests will shape India’s plans for the big challenge that lies ahead: five Test matches in Australia. Jasprit Bumrah’s workload will have to be managed, and there is a fringe fast bowler (Akash Deep) and an uncapped one (Yash Dayal) to be tried out before the tour of Australia. Kuldeep Yadav was once proclaimed by former coach Ravi Shastri as India’s No 1 overseas spinner, but five and half years later, the wristspinner has only played one Test match away. Kuldeep will pose a threat in Australia, but remains an unlikely starter there even if he takes a bagful of wickets against Bangladesh and New Zealand. How, then, does the team management manage him? 

Team-wise, there selections are straightforward. Rohit has all but confirmed Rahul’s place at No 5, stating in a press conference two days before the match that a “clear message” had been sent the middle-order batsman. That means that Sarfaraz, who was asked to play the second round of the Duleep Trophy, looks set to go back into the reserves pool. Three spinners and two pacers are what India are set to field in Chennai. 

Given that the pitch is made up of red soil, we can expect turn. But will India want sharp turn, given the threat that Taijul Islam, Mahedy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan pose? Bangladesh are coming off a landmark 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan, and bring with them a unique set of challenges for India’ s batting. The fresh pace pair of Nahid Rana, 21, and Hasan Mahmud, 25, appear capable of pushing the best in the game. Mehidy will be looking at leaving an impression in Chennai where the ball will turn, after he struggled in 2017 and 2019 on previous tours. Shakib will in all probability be playing a Test in India for the last time, and you can count on him to prove a thorn in India’s side. Taijul Islam’s left-arm spin could possibly put the likes of Kohli and Gill under the pump. 

Bangladesh have never won a Test in India and are clearly underdogs despite their success in Pakistan. 

India likely 11: 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 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Bangladesh likely 11: Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Liton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Nahid Rana