After falling against Bangladesh in the ODI series, India will want to start the two-match Test series with a victory when the two teams face off at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. The upcoming Test match is the first of India’s six remaining matches in the 2021/23 cycle, where World Test Championship points are on the line. India is currently standing fourth behind Australia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka in the standings, while Bangladesh is at the bottom of the list.
Despite Ishan Kishan’s record double century, India were humbled 2-1 by a resurgent Bangladesh team in the three-match ODI series. Now is the time for the Indian cricket squad to shift gears and get ready for red-ball cricket. In the crucial two-match series against a tough Bangladesh, which will determine India’s hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship final, KL Rahul’s tactical nous will be put to the test with his batting talent. Winning the first two Tests against Bangladesh and then all four at home against Pat Cummins’ Australia is the only surefire route for India to secure a spot in the June final.
However, Team India could take heart from the fact that they have often performed well at the wicket of Chattogram, the site of the first Test match. The man in the blue scored 465 the last time they played at Chattogram against Sri Lanka in May. On the other hand, Bangladesh won’t probably have the effervescent Taskin Ahmed, and they run the risk of becoming even more helpless if Shakib Al Hasan gets sidelined. He received a blow to the ribs from Umran Malik in the second ODI, and as a result, he underwent a preventive check on Tuesday and is now being monitored.
Shami and Jadeja are ruled out of the Test series
After being forced out of the recent ODI series due to a shoulder injury, pacer Mohammed Shami was replaced by Jaydev Unadkat for the two-Test series in Bangladesh, which begins in Chattogram on December 14. One of the most effective pacers in Indian domestic cricket, Jaydev Unadkat, has 353 wickets in 96 games, including a record-breaking 67-wicket Ranji Trophy season in 2019–20, which helped Saurashtra win their first Ranji Trophy championship. The experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who underwent knee surgery and is expected to miss an undetermined amount of time, will be replaced by 29-year-old Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Saurabh Kumar. The Indian side is always put in a difficult situation when Jadeja isn’t available on Bangladeshi pitches, especially when the opponent is batting in their second innings.
Rohit Sharma will miss the test series:
A serious injury has forced Rohit Sharma to step down as captain, and KL Rahul will take over. Despite suffering a left thumb dislocation in the second ODI, captain Rohit Sharma bravely attempted to rescue the ODI series but was forced to return home for medical attention. For the next two-Test series against Bangladesh, India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran has been called up to fill in for the injured Rohit Sharma. Youngster Abhimanyu struck 141 in the sole Indian innings of the first A Test and 157 in the first innings of the second Test against Bangladesh A. India is likely to field five bowlers due to the anticipated batting- friendly surface. This includes two spinners and two quick bowlers, leaving the decision of whether to field a third seamer or spinner in the fifth position up to the match’s specifics.
Bangladeshi squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Litton Das, Mominul Haque, Anamul Haque, Ebadot Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nurul Hasan, Rejaur Rahman, RajaYasir Ali, Zakir Hasan.
Indian squad: Shubman Gill, KL Rahul(c), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant(w), Axar Patel, Srikar Bharat, Navdeep Saini, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Saurabh Kumar