India bat and pick 3 spinners; Bangladesh hand debut to Zakir

India captain KL Rahul has won the toss and opted to bat in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. He hoped his spinners - R Ashwin, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav - would be use the footmarks later in the game to help India pick up 20 wickets. Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj were tasked with leading the pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

Shakib Al Hasan, who also wanted to bat first, hoped to pick up early wickets with the pitch having a decent cover of grass, even if it's not exactly a greentop. Bangladesh too fielded three spinners and two seamers. With Shoriful Islam seemingly picking up an injury during a practice session before the toss, Khaled Ahmed joined Ebadot Hossain in the seam attack.

Bangladesh also handed a debut to Zakir Hasan, who was the highest run-getter in the recently concluded National Cricket League, Bangladesh's premier first-class tournament. Earlier this month in Cox's Bazar, he struck 173 to help Bangladesh draw the first four-day game against India A. Not a regular opener, he was slotted to open the innings with Najmul Hossain Shanto as Bangladesh left out Mahmudul Hasan Joy.

The two-match series is part of the World Test Championship. If India win 2-0, they will give their chances of making the final a boost.

Bangladesh: 1 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Yasir Ali, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Khaled Ahmed, 11 Ebadot Hossain

India: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Source: ESPNcricinfo