The ODI series against Bangladesh proved to be a big shocker for Rohit Sharma & Co. as they lost by 2-1 in front of the packed Bangladeshi crowd. The visitors played well in all three games, but the result could not go in their favour.
The home team won the first two ODIs to make sure they win the series, but the revenge came in the final game where Ishan Kishan just smoked every bowler by scoring a double century. He scored 210 and helped India win the battle by 227 runs.
Now, the two-match Test series is set to take place starting with Chattogram. It has been a long time since the two met each other in Test cricket. Both sides last met at the Eden Gardens stadium in 2019 where India won by an innings and 46 runs.
What have they done so far?
The ODI series was a huge success for Bangladesh and the Tigers would want to keep the same momentum going forward now. Players like Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mahmudullah shone with the bat while Shakib Al Hasan and Ebadot Hossain picked up 9 wickets each in the series. A collective effort helped them to clinch the iconic series.
On the other hand, the Indians were not bad at all, but some tough luck couldn’t help them grab the series. There were many positives including Ishan Kishan’s knock and Washington Sundar’s bowling, but the Men in Blue would have wanted to finish this series on a high.
Talking about Test cricket, Team India are way ahead against Bangladesh since 2000 when they first met in red-ball cricket. As it is a two-match series, no one can afford to lose a single game. Due to a fabulous past record, India would like to finish the series on a high. Also, Rohit Sharma & Co. have to win both matches to keep their hopes alive of entering the World Test Championship Final. India is currently placed in the fourth position in the World Test Championships standings with six victories out of 12 matches.
Head-to-Head Record
Both India and Bangladesh have met on 11 occasions in Test cricket where India became victorious on 9 occasions whereas two matches ended in a draw. Bangladesh is still searching for their maiden Test victory against India. Looking at their current performance in white-ball cricket, they have all the ability to create history this time.
Key Players
KL Rahul: All eyes will be on stand-in skipper KL Rahul who has replaced Rohit Sharma as captain for this game. Regular skipper Sharma has been ruled out of the opening Test after getting injured in the 2nd ODI and has been advised to take a rest. However, the BCCI medical team will take a call on Rohit for the second Test.
KL Rahul, who has had ups and downs in the past few series due to his form, is having a perfect chance this time to answer his critics. If he could lead the side well and get some runs, he would surely be on everyone’s list once again.
The right-hander had an ordinary ODI series with just 95 runs in 3 games with one half-century. He would like to bring back his best form in the Test series.
Shakib Al Hasan: Whenever there is Shakib featuring in a team, he is surely on the list of players to watch out for. One of the finest all-rounders to ever grace the game, Shakib is set to lead Bangladesh in the two-match Test series. He had a great ODI series with 9 wickets to his name and also scored 80 runs with the bat.
The left-hander is well-aware of the weaknesses of Indian players by being one of the most experienced players on the side. With no Rohit Sharma on the side, he has the ability to shift the momentum in Bangladesh’s favour. He will get good support from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and with a strong side this time, Shakib’s men are most likely to surprise on a few occasions.
Predicted XI
India: KL Rahul ©, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj
Bangladesh: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Anamul Haque, Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan ©, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed
Prediction
Even though Team India is having a fabulous record against Bangladesh in Test cricket, the Tigers will be having home advantage. With some great outings in the ODI series, one can expect Bangladesh to create wonders. Also, with no Rohit Sharma available in the first Test, the advantage could be with the home side but India being a Test giant are slightly ahead.
