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India–Bangladesh Test Series: Stiffer Challenge For Tigers

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Update: 2019-11-13 19:44:11
India–Bangladesh Test Series: Stiffer Challenge For Tigers india-vs-bangladesh

Bangladesh surprising many in the just concluded T20 series just failed to achieve the historic win. Having won the first T20 by 7 wickets they were blown away in the second by a Rohit Tornado. In the third match they were looking eye to eye till the last stage of the match. A brilliant aggressive 81 by rookie Naim and great partnership between him and Mithun appeared to cruise Bangladesh to historic win till Deepak Chahar rewrote the history taking 6/7 in an astonishing spell of accurate pace bowling. The dream of team tigers was dashed as Bangladesh middle order crashed. Bangladesh lost the last 8 wickets for 38 runs. Bangladesh lost by 30 runs and series was lost 2-1. 

Bangladesh now faces much stronger challenge in the two tests series commencing at Indore from 14 November. Bangladesh starts its mission in ICC test championship with this test. With Shakib, Tamim and Saifuddin not there Bangladesh will have to climb Mount Everest for even creating contest and taking the matches to the distance.

After the first test at Indore the second match with be a day night test played at historic Eden gardens. Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and India as well as Chief Minister of West Bengal will be special guests. Bangladesh played its historic first test against India at Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka. Present BCCI President Indian Cricket Icon Shaurav Ganguly captained India. All players and officials playing that test have been invited. Many top Indian sportsmen and women of International repute will grace the occasion. Great Indian Captain MS Dhoni will have his debut in  commentary team at Eden Gardens. 

Eleven Bangla speaking cricketers led by little bird Mominul Haque would lock horns with strong India in the city of joy and city of Ganguly ( King Of Kolkata )  on the historic Eden Garden surface. 

Having won the well contested three-match T20 series 2-1 Team India has named its strongest squad for the two match test series with a view to retaining its top position in ICC test ranking. The top batsman in ICC ranking Virat Kohli returns to lead the side. Inform Maynak Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteswar Pujara , Ajinka Rahaane and Hanuma Vihari forms the most formidable batting unit. India has the wealth of choosing either Wriddhiman Shaha or Rishabh Pant as Wicket Keeper batsman. Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma will operate will new ball. Ravichandra Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will form match winning combination of spin while Kuldeep Yadav would remain stand bye as an option. All the players in the squad are in the peak form and on Indian wicket and condition team India is now impregnable in test cricket. Very recently India whitewashed strong South Africa in test series.india-vs-bangladeshIndian Squad:

Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma, MayankAgarwal, Cheteshwar Mohammad Shami Pujara, Ajinka Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Jadeja, R Ashwin, KuldeepYadav, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.

Team Bangladesh has its task cut out. Absence of Shakib, Tamim and Saifuddin will entrust upon senior professionals Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haq and Mahmudullah additional responsibility. It will present great opportunity for younger players like Saif Hasan, Shadman Islam, Naeem Hasan and Ebadat Hossain to redeem themselves.

Bangladesh is not expected to win against strong India. Even with Shakib, Tamim, Saifuddin in the team Bangladesh would not have been expected to create contest in tests. Bangladesh perhaps did not do it right burdening Mominul with onerous task of leading the underdogs in a very difficult mission. Yet Imrul Kayes and Shadman Islam are expected to give good start. A very exciting youngster Saif Hasan may repeat the feat of his mate Naim Sheikh in T20 series. Two veterans Mushfique and Mahmudullah have to carry the team on their shoulders. Mosaddeq has returned home. We are not sure he will rejoin the side. Mithun and Liton should apply themselves. India may prepare wickets that suits Jadeja and Ashwin. If that is the case Mehedy Miraj and Taijul Islam are expected to bowl well. Mustafiz is not bowling well. Hope Al Amin and Ebadat will handle the new ball well. It is to be seen whether Bangladesh plays with two pacers and three spinners. India bats deep and hence will require spinners bowling longer spells,match-momentBangladesh Squad:

Mominul Haque (C), Al-Amin Hossain, Imrul Kayes, Shadman Islam, Saif Hassan, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehedy Hasan, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasam, Mustafizur Rahman, Ebadat Hossain
Bangladesh India Head To Head In Test Cricket:
Milestones: 

Nine Tests have been played between the two teams – eight in Bangladesh and just one in India. Seven have been won by India while the remaining two could not produce results.

The last Test between the two teams was contested in India – at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad in February 2017.  India (687 for six wickets declared & 159 for four wickets declared) beat Bangladesh (388 & 250) by 208 runs.

India had become the first team to post 600-plus in three successive innings – 631 in Mumbai; 759 in Chennai – both against England and 687 against Bangladesh. India's total of 687 for six wickets declared is the highest in Tests between the two countries.

Two double centuries have been recorded in Tests between the two teams – both by the Indians; 248 not out by Sachin Tendulkar at Dhaka in December 2004 and 204 by Virat Kohli at Hyderabad in February 2017.

With a double hundred in four successive series – vs West Indies in 2016; vs New Zealand in 2016-17; vs England in 2016-17 and vs Bangladesh in 2016-17 – Virat Kohli had created history, bettering the three each by Don Bradman and Rahul Dravid.

Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 820 runs (overs 136.66) in nine innings (7 Tests), including five hundreds, is the highest in Tests involving India and Bangladesh.

Zaheer Khan's tally of 31 wickets at 24.25 runs apiece in seven Tests, is the most in India-Bangladesh Tests.  His tally includes two five-wicket hauls and one instance of ten wickets in a Test match.

Zaheer's career-best figures of 7 for 87 in Bangladesh's second innings in the 2009-10 Dhaka Test are the best in an innings by any bowler between the two teams.

Irfan Pathan's match figures of 11 for 96 (5/45 + 6/51) in the 2004-05 Dhaka Test are the best by any bowler between the two teams.

The 283-run first-wicket partnership between Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan in the 2015 Fatullah Test is the highest for any wicket between the two teams.

Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan, with seven matches each, are the players with most matches between the two teams.

Sourav Ganguly is the most successful captain in Tests between the two teams, winning all three Tests.

Rahul Dravid, with 13 catches in seven Tests, is the leading fielder in Tests involving India and Bangladesh.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with 15 dismissals (12 catches + 3 stumpings) in three Tests, is the most successful wicketkeeper in Tests between the two teams.

Conclusion: 

Bangladesh on paper is no match for strong India in tests. But spirited Bangladesh may take strong test of Indian might if taken lightly. Hope Bangladesh would play inspirational cricket. Can Bangladesh surprise India?

BDST:  1943 HRS, NOV 13, 2019
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