Bangladesh secured their first-ever win T20Is win against India in Delhi earlier this month. Can they similarly break the duck in Test cricket in their first longest format game of the ICC World Test Championship at the Holkar Stadium in Indore tomrrow? For the visitors, the absence of two of their senior most players in Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal creates a big void but they would seek inspiration from their new skipper Mominul Haque who stood out as their best batsman last year, with 673 runs from 15 innings, including four centuries. As was the case in the historic T20I win in Delhi, a lot of the onus of Bangladesh batting would rest on experienced Mushfiqur Rahim who averages 56.16 from four Tests against India.
However, it is the bowling that should worry Bangladesh as it appears to lack experience, more so in the spin department, and a lot would rely on Taijul Islam, the left-arm spinner, who reached the 100-wicket mark and was one of the few bright spots during the defeat to Afghanistan in Bangladesh's last Test in September. Can the visitors put that behind and disrupt India's progress in the World Test Championship?
The Bangladesh bowlers have a tough task on their hand if they were to recall the last Test against India in Hyderabad in January, 2017. In that match, Indian skipper Virat Kohli's third Test double century and tons from Murali Vijay and Wriddhiman Saha helped the hosts amass a mammoth 687/6 declared in the first innings. That is why Virat Kohli remains the biggest threat for Bangladesh.
That one-off Test in Hyderabad also saw significant contributions from Shakib (82) and Mushfiqur (127) both of whom responded so well to help Bangladesh pile up a respectable 388 though still stood 299 behind India in the first innings. India won that Test. In a subsequent Test, India set Bangladesh a mammoth 458-run target. Indian spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja then exploited the slow pitch on the final two days, snaring four wickets each to give India a comfortable 208-run win.
That is why Mohammad Mithun told reporters in Indore on Tuesday that Bangladesh are more concerned about how to play Ashwin and Jadeja than Indian medium pacers. According to Indian Test vice captain Ajinkya Rahane, his side do not take any opponent lightly. “Bangladesh is a very good team. They play as a unit. We focus on our strengths rather than thinking about opposition. With the Test championship, every match is important," he said.
The weather in Indore is expected to be clear and sunny for the entire duration of the Test. The pitch could offer substantial help to slower bowlers as the game progresses, much like it did in the only Test played here, back in 2016, when spinners accounted for 22 of the 28 wickets in the match.
India have won each of their first five Tests in the World Test Championship and now have the opportunity to keep up that glorious momentum against ninth-placed Bangladesh the ICC Test team rankings. The two-match Test series against Bangladesh throws up a great opportunity for India’s new openers Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal to establish themselves further, after having aggregated 829 runs between them in three Tests against South Africa last month.
In the Test series against Bangladesh, India are likely to persist with Wriddhiman Saha over Rishabh Pant as wicket-keeper while the in-form bowling unit presents a problem of plenty for Kohli.