Bangladesh tour of India: Buoyant India gears up for Bangladesh Test

CHENNAI: With the World Test Championship final coming up next year, India would look to start its second half of the season with a win but standing in their way is a defiant Bangladesh, who are coming into the tournament after winning away at Pakistan.

India currently leads the rankings with a win percentage of 68.52 and is on track to reach its third consecutive title clash. Bangladesh, not far behind at fourth in the rankings, will aim to continue its winning run.

India has remained unbeaten in its 12 previous Test matches against Bangladesh and the Rohit Sharma-led team will be playing its first red-ball contest since its dominant 4-1 series win over England at home earlier this year. “It’s always challenging. To be honest, it’s not easy when you haven’t played for 6-8 months. But the positive is that many players are experienced, and this isn’t the first time we’ve faced a break and come back,” said India captain Rohit during the pre-match press conference.

Team India arrived in the city earlier this week and despite the sudden unseasonal hot weather, the team has been working hard in the nets to prepare for the long domestic season ahead. Rohit also added that those who haven’t played much Test cricket are equally prepared, given their experience in the Duleep Trophy.

The two sides will face each other for the first time in Chennai, and Rohit asserted that there is no need to delve into or devise a new strategy for the matches against Bangladesh, despite its recent success. “Every team wants to beat India; they take pride in it. Let them have fun, but our job is to think about how to win the matches. We don’t really worry about what the opponent is thinking about us,” added Rohit.

Both teams did extensive training on a red-soil pitch over the past few days but practiced on a black-soil wicket on

Tuesday. The first Test which begins on Thursday in Chennai is expected to be played on a red-soil wicket, which, in turn, favours bowlers if they can make the most of it.

Long season ahead of Team India

India has a long season ahead, with Test series against New Zealand and Australia in the coming months. The stakes are high, and almost every match is crucial. Rohit added that workload management within the squad is always at the back of their heads. “We want our best players to participate in every game, but that’s not feasible given the sheer amount of cricket coming up. If not Tests, there are T20 matches in between, and we need to understand and decide what’s best for the team and plan accordingly,” said Rohit.