- Sunday, March 23, 2025
While a 2-0 sweep in Pakistan has been a morale booster for Bangladesh, playing in India is a far more daunting prospect
By: Shajil Kumar
BANGLADESH head coach Chandika Hathurusingha feels playing against cricketing powerhouse India will give his team a fair assessment of where it stands internationally.
After their first-ever Test series win over Pakistan, Bangladesh will chase more cricket history when they face India in Chennai from Thursday.
The 2-0 sweep in Pakistan sparked celebrations at home a month after political turmoil and deadly protests in Bangladesh ousted the autocratic former premier.
But a two-Test series In India is a far more daunting prospect – Bangladesh have never won any of their 13 previous matches, losing 11 and drawing two.
Both draws came at home, at Chittagong in 2007 and Fatullah in 2015.
“We are encouraged by playing the best team in the world, and coming to India and playing against them is the best challenge you get nowadays,” said Hathurusingha, the former Sri Lankan all-rounder, during a pre-match press conference in Chennai on Tuesday.
Following the two-Test series against India, Bangladesh will also play three-T20s starting October 6.
When asked if the Test series whitewash of Pakistan had created pressure of expectation on his side, Hathurusingha said that though the it had boosted the team’s confidence, it also knew its strengths and weaknesses.
“Keeping the outcome aside, the way we played the series and we handled certain situations, like lagging and coming back, and the people who contributed to it — all give us a lot of belief for this series”
“Pressure (of playing against India) is a privilege. We understand where we stand, along with our strengths and limitations,” he said.
The Bangladesh squad comprises eight specialist batters, six bowlers and two all-rounders and Hathurusingha called it the “most rounded” side across departments.
“This will be a challenging series for us,” visiting skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said ahead of the first Test.
“But after having a good series against Pakistan, there is an extra confidence in our team, as well as among all the people of the country.”
Rohit banks on spinners
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma will look to experienced slow bowling trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel to test Bangladesh’s batting on pitches that are expected to favour the spinners.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will lead the pace attack while Mohammed Shami recovers from ankle surgery.
India welcome back wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant to the Test squad for the first time since the car crash in December 2022.
Pant, an attacking left-handed batsman, is expected to replace Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps.
Virat Kohli is also back for his first Test since facing South Africa at Cape Town in January, having missed India’s 4-1 home series win against England for the birth of his second child.
New head coach Gautam Gambhir takes charge of India in a Test for the first time.
After Chennai, the second Test begins in Kanpur on September 27 with both part of the World Test Championship. India lead the current standings ahead of Australia.
The Tests are followed by a three-match Twenty20 series starting in Gwalior on October 6, moving to New Delhi three days later and finishing in Hyderabad on October 12. (Agencies)
