A better rounded and more ambitious hosts compared to 2010 await India, who have an eye on the World Test Championship final
That the city was known as Chittagong is only part of the story. It was a very different world when India last played Test cricket in Chattogram.
India arrived here in January 2010 with one of their great sides on a rampant run, and had a stand-in captain who couldn’t be more different to MS Dhoni. “Bangladesh are an ordinary side,” Virender Sehwag had famously said in the lead-up to the Test match back then, stunning a room full of journalists into disbelief. And there’s more. “They can’t beat India because they can’t take 20 wickets,” he was quick to add.
Bangladesh aren’t the same side anymore. Shakib Al Hasan, also the captain then, surely no longer thinks that a “draw will be good”, and for good reasons. Bangladesh have beaten the likes of West Indies, England and even Australia in the meantime, and are a force to reckon at home. A large part of that is down to how they aren’t about one player, which is qualitatively different to the era of Mohammad Ashraful.
But that said, a lot also hasn’t changed. Bangladesh still haven’t been able to pick 20 wickets in a match against India, let alone take a Test off them. That the two teams have only met across five rubbers since that notable series in 2010 is a different story altogether, but the fact remains that India remain the superior side, and more so in these conditions in the subcontinent. By how much – or by how much not – will be on display over the next five days or so.
A more rounded and ambitious hosts in Bangladesh wait in the wings for India, who have an eye on the World Test Championship final, and Chattogram might just not be as easy as Chittagong.
What: Bangladesh vs India, 1st Test, December 14-18, 9:30 AM local
Where: Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram
What to expect: A “batting paradise” in Taskin Ahmed’s words. The venue is known for its conditions favouring batters and both teams, not just Bangladesh, will be put to task in picking 20 wickets on the playing surface here. That said, four of the last five Tests here have produced results and, notably, Bangladesh have lost three of those. The weather is set to be fair over the next five days.
Team news
Bangladesh: Head coach Russell Domingo has confirmed that Bangladesh are “not going to risk” Taskin Ahmed, who is recovering from a back injury. Shakib Al Hasan, who was hit in the ribs by Umran Malik during the ODI series, continues to feel uncomfortable in his ribs although the scans he underwent again in Chattogram have come back clear. He is likely to put on that blazer in 23 degrees and lead Bangladesh at home once again.
Probable XI: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Liton Das, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, Taijul Islam
India: Regular captain Rohit Sharma is out of the Chattogram Test with a finger injury and KL Rahul will lead the side in his absence. One of the first decisions that the stand-in skipper will be faced with is at the top, with regards to who will be his opening partner. Shubman Gill comes with promise and prior experience but uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran, now 27, has been biding his time for far too long and, more importantly, comes in scores of 141 and 157 for India A in the last couple of weeks.
Axar Patel is likely to come in as a like-for-like replacement for injured Ravindra Jadeja whereas Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav pick themselves in the absence of Bumrah and Shami. Will India go with Shardul Thakur’s all-round abilities on a flat pitch or include Saurabh Kumar as the third spinning option? Left-arm spinner Saurabh, like Abhimanyu, also comes in with relevant and recent experience on these shores and picked 15 wickets across two first-class games against Bangladesh A in the last couple of weeks. Jaydev Unadkat, who is still stuck in India, is obviously out of reckoning.
Probable XI: Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Who said what
“Test cricket is always challenging. We have won Tests by taking it to the fifth day, so here too, we have to take the game into the fifth day” – Taskin Ahmed, Bangladesh fast bowler.
“If I look at it the other way, Umesh Yadav becomes a spearhead for us now. He has a lot of experience with him going into the Test match. I’m also happy with the way Siraj has delivered in Test cricket. The Test matches he has played for us in England and other venues, he has performed for us and won Test matches for us” – Paras Mhambrey, India bowling coach.
