It’s not often that an India-Bangladesh Test series garners as much anticipation as the one starting on 19 September in Chennai. Bangladesh’s historic 2-0 Test series win away from home in Pakistan earlier this month has raised the passionate cricket nation’s status—the greatest ever triumph in the history of Bangladesh as a Test playing nation.
Now the Tigers come hunting in neighbouring India. It’s a tall order to replicate their success against a cricketing powerhouse that hasn’t lost a series at home in over a decade. Here’s a measure of the task: Bangladesh will need to end India’s streak of 17 consecutive Test series wins at home.
But no result can be ruled out, as Sri Lanka showed recently by beating the newly crowned T20 world champions in an ODI series in the island nation. Even more impressive was Bangladesh’s stunning achievement in Pakistan, a performance that showcased new talent and exceptional resolve.
It’s harder to get unexpected results in 5-day cricket than in T20s and ODIs. Bangladesh had to dig deep and stay the course against Pakistan. They did this with a mix of exciting fresh faces and old hands who could handle pressure.
When Pakistan declared at 448 for 6 in the first Test, the match appeared to be heading for a repeat of past drubbings. But the new Bangla opener, Shadman Islam, who missed a century by 7 runs, and former Bangla captain, Mushfiqur Rahim, who missed a double century by 9 runs, had other ideas. They turned the game around as Bangladesh amassed 565 against a bowling attack that included Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Then the spin duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz bundled Pakistan out for 146 on an abrasive fifth day wicket.
Bangladesh’s turnaround in the second Test was even more staggering. After a collapse to 26/6 against the Pak pacers, the experienced Litton Das and spirited Mehidy Hasan Miraz came together for a 165-run seventh wicket stand to restore parity. Miraz went on to claim a five-wicket haul before scoring 78 in the first innings, making it a great all-round performance.
The best, though, was yet to come. 21-year-old tearaway fast bowler, Nahid Rana, was the find of the tour for Bangladesh. He shook up the Pak batsmen by consistently bowling above 140 kmph and sometimes crossing 150 kmph.
The youngster joined the more experienced fast bowlers, Tasking Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud, to bowl Pakistan out for 172 in the second innings and keep the target to a gettable 185. Although Bangladesh lost four top order batsmen, the cool heads of former skippers Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan took them home to a memorable victory.
Bangladesh is known for winning matches with spin rather than pace. But they showed in Rawalpindi that they could now compete in all conditions, as their fast bowlers took all 10 wickets in the second innings. An added factor is the raw pace of Rana who can make batsmen hop with bouncers, a dimension to fast bowling that Bangladesh lacked. If Rana proves durable, it will do wonders for the threat that Bangladesh can pose.
Meanwhile, India has selected a strong squad that will give coach Gautam Gambhir the opportunity to find a winning configuration for the three consecutive series against Bangladesh and New Zealand at home and Australia away. The two home series will give the players a chance to switch their mindsets—after a surfeit of recent limited overs cricket—to play the longer game of red ball cricket.
The disappointing news is that Mohammed Shami is not yet ready to return from his ankle surgery, though the seam bowler will be vital for the Australia series. We will also have to wait longer to see if the new 155-kmph fast bowler, Mayank Yadav, is ready for Test cricket, after an injury ended a stunning IPL run earlier this year.
Fast bowler Akash Deep, who made a good impression against England, retains his place in the Test squad. An interesting inclusion is left-arm pace bowler Yash Dayal, who did well in IPL 2024. His ability to swing the new ball is an asset.
Dayal and Deep join stalwarts Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The selectors left out Mukesh Kumar, who lacks the pace to trouble batsmen on good wickets, and left-armer Khalil Ahmed for his lack pof consistency.
For the first Test in Chennai, the pitch, going by past performance, should favour spin more than pace. India have that covered with the spin quartet of Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja.The perennial question is whether to lengthen the batting order by playing both the left-arm spin bowlers, Patel and Jadeja, or include the left-arm leg-spinner, Yadav. Unlike in the England series, India will be unlikely to leave out the wicket-taking ability of Yadav this time.
One of the main talking points is the return of Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper-batsman. Dhruv Jurel, who helped extricate India from a tricky situation to clinch the series against England in Ranchi in February, will have to wait his turn as the backup.Pant has already made a remarkable comeback in white ball cricket after his long injury layoff. He has had a good outing in the Duleep Trophy before the Bangladesh series, and will be the cynosure of all eyes as he takes back his rightful place in the Indian Test team. His positivity as a left-handed batsman in the middle order is vital.
It will probably be a toss-up between the conservative batting of K.L. Rahul and the more enterprising Sarfaraz Khan, who retains his place in the middle order after performing well against England. India will probably play six batsmen and five bowlers, with either Jadeja or Patel as an all-rounder at No.7.
The last time India and Bangladesh played a Test match, in December 2022, India were on the brink of losing at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka. A late order rescue act by Ashwin saved the day. This time the Tigers are stronger and more confident. It promises to be a well-contested, intense series.
Sumit Chakraberty is a writer based in Bengaluru.
