Tigers face off India to snap losing streak in Test cricket

Bangladesh are keen to remain extreme competitive over the five days and nail the crucial moments to beat India for the first time in longer version as they take on the sub-continent rivals in the opening match of the two-match Test series at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.

The match starts at 9.30 AM and will be aired live on Gazi Television and T Sports Channel.

The series is the part of ICC World Test Championship where the Tigers are languished at the bottom place with just one victory and one draw from their 10 matches. The victory was a landmark one as they won a Test on New Zealand soil where the Asian teams like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka always struggled. The only draw came against Sri Lanka in their last Test series at home this year in Chattogram.

But Bangladesh have not won a Test at home since February 2020 and have never beaten India anywhere in 11 matches in this format. They drew twice but that too courtesy to the rain.

Nonetheless, Bangladesh remained competitive against their opponents at home and abroad in the last couple of years but their failure to prop up the game at the crucial moments cost them dearly. In ODI cricket too, they failed to nail the crucial moments, specially against India abroad but in this home series, they overcame that problem to beat India by 2-1 in three-match ODI series.

The Tigers want to do just that thing in Test series also to snap their losing streak in the longer version format, in which they proved them vulnerable time and again.

"We have lost some Tests but in terms of the competitive nature, I think there's been some big improvements in it. We know we are up against a really good India side in conditions that are not unfamiliar with. We try to win every series. It is a home series so my expectation is for us to be competitive," Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo said.

"We want to take the game to the fifth day. Realistically we have got a chance to beat them if we play really well. We have done it for periods of time in Test series in the last year but not for long enough. We know it's a tough series, but I expect us to push India really hard in this series."

Overall Bangladesh's Test statistics is utterly disappointing. After playing 134 matches, they won just 16 and lost a staggering number of 100 matches. The rest of the 10 matches ended in a draw, most of which came, thanks to rain.

However, the first two ODIs taught Bangladesh a template to beat India-rip through the Indian top order as early as possible and take control of the game. In Test series, India's batting line up will be more or less same but they will again miss the service of captain Rohit Sharma who was ruled out of the first Test after sustaining a left-thumb injury in the second ODI.

Since the Chattogram wicket though is predicted to be a batting paradise, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam will be Bangladesh's key weapon. Captain Shakib Al Hasan, the highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh in the this format has some injury concern after getting hit on back by a Umran Malik bouncer but he is highly likely to play. His bowling partnership Taijul will be key in resisting India's much-vaunted batting line-up.

Bangladesh is likely to hand debut to Zakir Hasan who impressed for Bangladesh A with 173 runs knock against India A. Domingo said pacer Taskin Ahmed will be unavailable for the first Test.

India are fourth behind Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka, having won six of their 12 matches in World Test Championship.

KL Rahul will lead the team in the first Test with Cheteshwar Pujara as his deputy. Uncapped batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran was named as regular captain Rohit's replacement. Left-arm fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat, who played his only Test in 2010, has also been added to the 17-member squad.

Line Ups:

Bangladesh: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Yasir Ali, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Liton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Zakir Hasan, Rejaur Rahman, Anamul Haque.

India: KL Rahul (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KS Bharat, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Navdeep Saini, Saurabh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat.

Source: BSS