2024-09-18 13:02:46
Chennai: The first match of the two-Test series between India and Bangladesh will be played from Thursday, September 19. Team India will try to maintain its dominance on home soil and strengthen its position at the top of the World Test Championship table. However, India’s batsmen will have to improve their performance against spin. Bangladesh’s challenge will also be strong, which has recently come here after defeating Pakistan 2-0 in a two-Test series. India would like to make a positive start to the 10-Test season so that it can strengthen its claim for the WTC final. India’s win-loss record on home soil in the last decade has been 40-4 which is unmatched, but some weaknesses have been exposed in the last three years, especially in the case of star batsman Virat Kohli. Kohli has played an important role in India’s excellent performance at home since 2015 and he has scored runs against all the bowlers. But since 2021, his performance against spin has declined. During this period, his average has been 30 in 15 Tests. This is nothing against Kohli’s exceptional qualities as a batsman but it is one department the champion cricketer would surely want to improve himself in.
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Rohit will do the job of spinners
Captain Rohit Sharma has been successful in destroying spin, especially since being given the responsibility of opening batsman against South Africa in 2017. He has scored runs at an average of more than 90 against spinners. But since 2021, his performance against spinners has also declined and he has been able to score runs at an average of 44 in 15 matches. Rohit has described Lokesh Rahul as equally effective against fast bowlers and spin but the figures tell something else.
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In the last three years, Rahul has played five Tests at home and the right-handed batsman has averaged just 23.40 against spinners. Collectively, these statistics should be taken as a sign of waning skills and perhaps also as a reminder to refocus on honing the art of playing spin, which has been the main strength of batsmen from this part of the world. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had stressed on this issue after India’s 0-2 loss in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.
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However, Rishabh Pant (70 runs in five matches), Shubman Gill (56 runs in 10 matches) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (115 runs in five matches) have performed well against spinners. Jaiswal and Gill, however, scored most of the runs in the series against England earlier this year, which did not have experienced spin bowlers. In contrast, Bangladesh has much better spinners in the form of left-armers Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam and off-spinner Mehdi Hasan Miraz, who are capable of destroying any batting order on their day. Pant will be seen playing Test cricket for the first time after being injured in a horrific car accident in the year 2022.
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Bangladesh bowlers will make them do Naagin dance
In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are almost certain to make it to the XI and are a strong bowling unit in any conditions. However, India will have to decide whether to play either Akash Deep or Yash Dayal as the third fast bowler on the red soil pitch of the MA Chidambaram Stadium or give Kuldeep Yadav a chance while continuing with the trend of playing with three spinners in home Tests.
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However, India can also consider giving a chance to Akshar Patel as it will strengthen the lower batting order against Bangladesh. India’s new head coach Gautam Gambhir would like to make a positive start by winning the first Test series under his guidance. Under his guidance, India won the T20 series in Sri Lanka 3-0 but lost the ODI series 0-2. Bangladesh is likely to field two stormy bowlers in the form of Nahid Rana and Hasan Mahmud in this match.
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The teams are as follows:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Lokesh Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jaspreet Bumrah and Yash Dayal.
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Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehdi Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed and Zakir Ali Anik.
Time: The match will start at 9.30 am.