Bangladesh kicked off India’s home season with a surprising decision to bowl first, marking the first time in five years that a visiting team has opted to field first in India. It was also the first instance in seven years that a team chose to bowl in a series involving India at home. The last occurrence was in a rain-affected match on a green, seaming pitch.
However, Rohit Sharma revealed that India, too, would have bowled first if they had won the toss. Both teams picked three fast bowlers, reflecting their strategy. The decision was further supported by overcast conditions, a relief after a heatwave had gripped Chennai the previous week.
Rohit mentioned that the pitch was slightly soft underfoot, which should aid seam movement early in the Test. The red-soil surface is expected to provide good bounce and, as the match progresses, significant turn for the spinners.
The match also marked Rishabh Pant’s return to Test cricket after recovering from a serious car accident in late 2022. KL Rahul, also back from injury, was included in the middle order ahead of Sarfaraz Khan.
Bangladesh fielded the same XI that secured a series victory against Pakistan.
India’s XI: Rohit Sharma (capt.), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
Bangladesh’s XI: Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt.), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana.
Leave a Reply