CHENNAI: India and Bangladesh are set to face off in the first of their two-Test series at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, commencing on Thursday. This clash promises to be a captivating contest between the two subcontinent sides.
Bangladesh arrives in Chennai buoyed by a recent Test series victory over Pakistan, achieved on Pakistani soil. In contrast, India comes into the series following a disappointing ODI series against Sri Lanka, where the Indian batters, including stars like Virat Kohli, struggled against Sri Lankan spinners, leading to a surprising series defeat.
The series is anticipated to be a contest between India’s formidable batting line-up and Bangladesh’s strong spin attack. India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, is confident in his batters’ ability to handle the spin challenge.
“Our batting unit has so much quality that it can take on any spin unit. There is a lot of difference between ODIs and Tests. It’s all about the mindset and working and strengthening your defence and once you have it, then you play around it,” Gambhir stated.
Gambhir acknowledged the threat posed by Bangladesh and emphasised that his team will not underestimate their opponents. “We respect everyone. We don’t take any opposition lightly. We are going to go out there and play the brand of cricket that we want to play because that is what champions do. They don’t look at the opposition. Congratulations Bangladesh for what they’ve done against Pakistan. But it’s a new start, it’s a new series, it’s a new opposition as well for them,” he assessed.
He further highlighted Bangladesh’s potential with experienced players like Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
“They have a very good bowling attack. Shakib (Al Hasan) has got the experience. Mehidy (Hasan Miraz) is there as well. So, we know that there is talent in Bangladesh. The important thing is that we need to be switched on from ball one,” Gambhir added.
Gambhir hinted at the possible return of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, potentially replacing Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan. He expects key contributions from R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, and praised Jasprit Bumrah as one of the finest fast bowlers in the world.