Rishabh Pant has been named in India’s Test squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, marking his return to the Test set-up after almost 20 months. The 16-man squad for the match, starting on September 19 in Chennai, was announced by the BCCI. Former captain Virat Kohli will also make his return as India gears up for their home season later this month.
Pant last played in the second Test against Bangladesh in December 2022 at Mirpur. Days after the match, on December 30, he was involved in a car accident, which sidelined him from international cricket. He returned to competitive cricket in the IPL earlier this year and now rejoins the national team following his successful comeback during India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign.
Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami was not included in the squad, despite earlier comments from selectors that he was targeting a return for the first Test against Bangladesh. However, left-arm seamer Yash Dayal from Uttar Pradesh has earned his first call-up to the Indian Test team.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel, who debuted in the home series against England earlier this year, retained their spots in the squad.
India’s long Test season kicks off with the first of two Tests against Bangladesh, starting September 19 in Chennai. The second Test is scheduled for Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.
Historically, India has dominated Bangladesh in Test matches, winning 11 out of the 13 games played between the two sides, with the remaining two ending in draws.
Bangladesh will enter this series with momentum, having recently secured a historic 2-0 Test series victory over Pakistan on their home turf. On the other hand, this will be India’s first Test series since their 4-1 home win against England earlier this year.
Here is the list of the selected players:
Will Bangladesh make things tough for India? What do you think?
