The India and Bangladesh cricket teams are set to renew their Test rivalry as they prepare for a two-match series, beginning Thursday, September 19, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This marks the third Test series between the two nations on Indian soil and the ninth overall. Historically, India has dominated, winning seven of the eight prior series, with one ending in a draw.
Bangladesh, despite securing a drawn series against India, are yet to win a Test match against them. In the 13 Test matches played between the two sides, India has emerged victorious in 11 matches, while two ended in a draw. Rohit Sharma and company will hope to keep the records intact with chances of securing a boost in the World Test Championship final spot hunt.
Let’s take a look at three key aspects to watch out for ahead of the India vs Bangladesh first Test.
1. Return of Virat Kohli in Tests
The biggest boost for India ahead of their Test against Bangladesh is their star batter Virat Kohli joining the squad for the two-match series. Kohli last played red-ball cricket against South Africa at Cape Town in January of this year. He missed the four-match series against England due to personal reasons. The return of Kohli means India will be playing with their highest active run-scorer in Tests on Indian soil, as the former Indian skipper has 4,144 runs under his belt in the 44 Test matches he has played on home soil.
2. Pant or KL or Dhruv Jurel
One of the biggest selection headaches for the Indian team management ahead of the first Test between India and Bangladesh is who to pick as the wicketkeeper: the returning Rishabh Pant or the youngster Dhruv Jurel. Pant, who was one of India’s most in-form red-ball cricketers in the 2021-22 season, was forced to step away from cricket after a life-threatening road accident in December 2022. However, Pant made a miraculous recovery and was a part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad, meaning the place of India’s wicketkeeper during the home series against England is now under scrutiny. While the youngster has proved his mettle in his debut series, it is highly unlikely that he will be preferred over Rishabh Pant for the first Test.
3. KL Rahul or Sarfaraz Khan
Another selection-related headache for Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir is who to prefer between KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan for the first Test against Bangladesh. Rahul, who picked up an injury during the first Test against England earlier this year, made way for the highly anticipated Test debut of youngster Sarfaraz Khan. The 26-year-old racked up 200 runs in three matches with three half-centuries under his belt to justify his selection. But just when he was expected to cement his place in the team, he once again found himself at a crossroads with the return of KL Rahul in the team set-up. While Rahul’s case is expected to be preferred by the management, coach Gambhir can surprise everyone by selecting Sarfaraz for the first Test.
First Published: Sep 16 2024 | 4:23 PM IST
