India will take on Bangladesh in a two-match Test series starting Thursday, September 19, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, has a strong record against Bangladesh, having won 11 out of the 13 Test matches played between the two sides. India will aim to extend this dominance to 13 wins by the end of the series.
India comes into the series on the back of a convincing 4-1 victory over England in their last home Test series. Meanwhile, Bangladesh enters the series after a historic 2-0 win over Pakistan in Rawalpindi, showcasing their improved performance in red-ball cricket.
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik shared his views on the series, expressing confidence in India’s chances of a comfortable win. Speaking on a show, Karthik acknowledged Bangladesh’s recent triumph over Pakistan but emphasized that beating India at home is an extremely difficult challenge. “Beating India in India is a humongous task… I don’t think it will be much trouble for India to beat Bangladesh,” Karthik predicted.
Karthik also weighed in on India’s possible playing XI for the first Test, suggesting that the team may prepare pace-friendly pitches with the upcoming Australian series in mind. According to him, India might opt for a balance of three fast bowlers and two spinners.
“India is going to play on slightly pace-oriented pitches… They’ll be preparing for the Australian Test series at the end of the year,” Karthik stated. He predicted that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja would be the preferred spinners, while the three fast bowlers would form the core of the attack.
Apart from Ashwin and Jadeja, India has also included Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in the squad for the first Test. However, based on Karthik’s analysis, it seems likely that the team will prioritize pace while still leveraging Ashwin and Jadeja’s experience in spin-friendly conditions.
We certainly agree with Dinesh Karthik, what about you?
