Chennai has a deep appreciation for big cricket matches and its rich cricketing history. This is evident throughout the newly renovated M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, including the press conference room, now tastefully decorated with framed newspaper clippings from memorable Test matches played there. Unsurprisingly, Bangladesh is yet to feature among these tributes.
Despite the modern era’s abundance of cricket, India hasn’t shared much camaraderie with Bangladesh in the Test format since the latter joined in 2000. It took India nearly 17 years to finally host Bangladesh for a Test match. Encounters between the two sides have yet to attain the significance of a major clash or rivalry, even though their white-ball contests often see tension and online sparring. India’s dominance, winning 11 of the 13 Test matches while the other two were washed out, offers some insight into this.
However, both countries share a familiar struggle from their early Test years— the battle to secure consistent overseas victories. Bangladesh has made quicker strides in this regard, recently achieving two impressive wins in Pakistan, and may be nearing a pivotal moment as a Test-playing nation. Their reward is to now face the toughest challenge in Test cricket. India, who have won 17 consecutive series at home and lost only four Tests in the past 11 years, will host Bangladesh in what will be only their fourth Test appearance in the country.
With these daunting statistics looming over them, Bangladesh appears to be entering this series as underdogs. Yet, that position could work in their favor, helping them build resilience and uncover new strengths. Over the next two weeks, every aspect of their game will be tested— their techniques scrutinized, and their endurance pushed to the limit in long, grueling sessions. However, if this young team can rise to the challenge and catch India off-guard at the start of the season, it could be their biggest leap forward in this format. It’s a no-pressure chance for them to make a mark, perhaps even earning a place among the iconic moments displayed at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Date: India vs Bangladesh, 1st Test, September 19-23, 09:30 IST, 04:00 GMT
Venue: M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Pitch and Conditions: What to Expect at Chennai
What to expect: The pitch is made of straw-colored red soil with some grass likely left to bind the surface. It is expected to offer good bounce. However, with high temperatures forecasted in Chennai this week, the surface may deteriorate faster, potentially providing earlier assistance to the spinners.
Team Strategies: India vs Bangladesh Tactics and Selection
India
In the previous Test series between these two teams in India, pace played a key role in India’s approach against Bangladesh, and the Chennai surface may again allow India to go with just Ashwin and Jadeja as the two spinners. However, with the aim of rotating fast bowlers through the home season, India is likely to stick with a 2-3 spin-pace combination, giving Kuldeep Yadav the chance to continue his rare run of five consecutive Tests. India might also alternate between Bumrah and Siraj to ensure one experienced pacer is available while the other gets some rest. In the middle-order, KL Rahul is expected to start over Sarfaraz Khan, despite the latter being one of only two Indian batters who opted for an additional practice session the day before the game.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep/Mohammed Siraj
Bangladesh
The visitors face a similar dilemma with their bowling combination, given the presence of two spin-bowling all-rounders. While they fielded three seamers in Pakistan, the conditions in Chennai are expected to be more spin-friendly than those in Rawalpindi, making Taijul Islam a strong option. There’s also consideration of breaking the chain of left-handed batters by bringing in Mahmudul Hasan Joy at the top of the order. However, making such a change could be seen as unnecessary for a winning team and might be avoided.
Probable XI: Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana
Did you know?
- A victory for India in the Chennai Test would mark the first time in their history that they would have more wins than losses in Test cricket.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal is just seven sixes away from breaking Brendon McCullum’s record for the most sixes (33) hit in a calendar year in Test matches.
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been Bangladesh’s standout performer in this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, leading both with the highest run tally (380 at an average of 47.5) and the most wickets (23 at 28.0).
