India vs Bangladesh Only Test Match

Pre-Match Analysis

Returning to the Test Cricket mode after a brief limited-overs series against England, India will be aiming to resume their supremacy when they take on Bangladesh in a historical one-off cricket Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here from Thursday.

The Test marks Bangladesh’s debut five-day outing on Indian soil since gaining Test status back in 2000.

Despite India playing a vital role in helping the neighbours attain the status, both the countries have engaged in only eight Tests so far all in Bangladesh with India winning six encounters.

But the ‘Tigers,’ as the No.9-ranked visitors are known, cannot be taken lightly considering the tough fight they gave when India visited them two years ago for a solitary match which ended in a draw.

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India skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday also cautioned his No.1-ranked team on the eve of the game against any complacency.

“We cannot take any aspect of Bangladesh lightly,” Kohli said in the match-eve press conference here.”No team is invincible, and there is always an opportunity for both sides to perform,” were the 28-year-old Kohli’s words of caution for his side.

Going into Thursday’s encounter, it will be a perfect opportunity for India to brush up their skills before taking on the visiting Australians in the four-match Test rubber, later this month.

While Bangladesh will want to put behind horrors of their recent tour to New Zealand and scare India with their rich spin-bowling attack. The hosts will be keen to continue from where they left in Chennai, producing a scintillating performance against England.

India’s batting department was boosted by the return of opener Murali Vijay and middle order mainstay Ajinkya Rahane after recovering from their respective injuries.

However, the return of Rahane may hamper the chances for promising Karun Nair, whose undefeated 303 is a too big performance to ignore.

In the bowling department, India will most likely go with the two pacers-three spinners combination and in such a scenario Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the likely seam options with veteran Ishant Sharma.

On the other hand, Bangladesh will be hoping for a much-improved show in familiar conditions, specially with the inclusion of wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das, who barged into the team after a double century in the Bangladesh Cricket League last month.

With opener Imrul Kayes already being ruled out of the Test due to a hamstring injury, Soumya Sarkar will partner the dangerous Tamim Iqbal at the top.

The middle order boasts of the experienced Shakib Al Hasan and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim, who have recently been amongst the runs against New Zealand.

In the bowling front, Bangladesh will miss the services of India’s prime tormentor in 2015 and pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was at his best during his stint with the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise last year.

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All-rounder Shakib, Taijul Islam, and Mehedi Hasan Miraz form the Bangladeshi bowling attack, even though there are Shafiul Islam, Subhasis Roy, Taskin Ahmed and Kamrul Islam Rabbi in their fast bowling reserves.

Team India squad:

Virat Kohli (Captain), Lokesh Rahul, Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha (Wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Umesh Yadav.

Bangladesh Squad:

Mushfiqur Rahim (Captain/Wicket-Keeper), Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Mehedi Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Subashis Roy, Taijul Islam, Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed.

IND VS BAN Match Details:

Date: Feb 9, 2023 - Feb 13, 2023

Time: 9:30 AM GMT

Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

Source: IANS