With the ball in India’s court, accompanied by the selection process, struggles, and injuries that the World Cup brings, India needs to quickly tear away these things and divert attention to the World Test Championship now. India played only five Tests this year, losing three away, and currently is preparing for a two-Test series against Bangladesh, who are strong at home but have not had a terrific run since 2021.
India Runs – 1st Innings 1st 100 Overs
※ Current Odds Date & Time: December 14, 4:00 P.M. (GMT)
India is missing their top key order and perhaps that’s one of the reasons why bookmaker 10bet predicts that India will score under 308 in the first 100 overs in the first innings with the odds of 1.74. On the other hand, Rishabh Pant’s inclusion and Ashwin and Pujara’s experience in Test Cricket can get them a score above 308 with the odds of this happening being 1.83.
The two-match Test match is critical for India if they are to participate in their second World Test Championship final in a row as they are presently fourth in the WTC points table with six matches left. If India wins their remaining matches, a top-two position in the points table and, as a result, a place in the WTC final at The Oval in England in June next year is assured. Bangladesh sits at the bottom of the WTC points table without contending for a spot in the final.
Also missing key Test players are Rohit Sharma (at least for the first game), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja, putting the onus on stand-in captain KL Rahul to rally the team and make the best of an inexperienced bowling department. The good news is – Rishabh Pant is in the squad! The addition of the southpaw will significantly boost India’s batting order. Ashwin and Pujara return as well bringing valuable experience.
When India played a Test in Bangladesh last in 2015, India had never lost a Test in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has taken on bigger targets since, such as England and Australia, using their spin attack to their full advantage. However, their home record since the pandemic has suffered due to a 2-0 deficit against West Indies and Pakistan and losing 1-0 to Sri Lanka. They did, however, bat well in Chattogram for the first Test against India and scored 465 against Sri Lanka in May.
Bangladesh will remain unchanged without Taskin Ahmed, and they could be weakened further if Shakib Al Hasan does not make the squad after being hit in the rib cage by Umran Malik in the second ODI. He was brought for a precautionary examination on Tuesday and is still being monitored. Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib and Litton Das lead the middle order. At the same time, Hasan Joy, who scored four low scores against India before this series, strikes form in the company of Zakir Hasan, who is expected to debut with a 173 against India. Bangladesh will also lack attack experience, making it a slightly even fight.
KL Rahul comes into the spotlight after a dismal T20 World Cup. A seventy-three off seventy to start the Bangladesh tour, the added leadership responsibility, and being the senior opener in Rohit’s absence will put all the focus on him. For the time being, he, like all of India’s players, puts aside the burden of performing well to keep his name in contention for a home World Cup and focus on what he does best: playing Test cricket.
Meanwhile for Bangladesh, they never had the bowling resources to challenge opponents in the conventional format, even while playing at home. Pacers Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam and spinners Shakib and Taijul Islam all want to change that. They do, however, have a consistent batting line-up for a home ground with skipper Shakib having over four thousand runs. The batting is solid with Mushfiqur Rahim’s 5000+ run total and former skipper Mominul Haque’s 3500+ aggregate.
Several valuable players are absent from the Indian Test team because of injuries. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma has been ruled out, at least for the first Test, as he sustained an injury during the first ODI against Bangladesh and could not participate in the following matches. All-arounder Ravindra Jadeja and fast bowler Mohammed Shami have also been withdrawn due to sustained injuries. Shubman Gill has not made many mistakes in his brief Test career, but Abhimanyu Easwaran, who scored 157 and 141 in two games against Bangladesh, has experience playing on their fields after participating in nine Dhaka Premier League games before.
India vs. Bangladesh Test Winner Odds (Outright)
※ Current Odds Date & Time: December 14, 4:00 P.M. (GMT)
India has a stellar record against Bangladesh in Test Series and bookmaker 10bet sees through that giving India an edge with the odds of 1.40. Bangladesh has no remarkable record at Chattogram and despite playing at home, bookmaker 10bet has not shown enough confidence in giving them odds of winning at 8.50. Bangladesh has a better chance of drawing the series with the odds of that happening at 4.00.
With predictions of a batting-friendly surface, India will have five bowlers, two spinners, and two quicks with the possibility of a third seamer or spinner depending on the situation. Due to visa and travel complications, Jaydev Unadkat will not be available for this selection.
India has not lost a Test in Chattogram, but the hosts look to improve on that. Bangladesh has lost thirteen of its 22 Test matches and has not triumphed in any of its past games at Chattogram. India will be the most fruitful to win but must be cautious of the powerful spin attack used by the hosts.
