Published on: Sep 16, 2024
The Bangladesh cricket team, led by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, arrived in Chennai on Sunday for their highly anticipated Test series against India. Accompanying Shanto were key players such as fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, wicketkeeper Litton Das, and all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, along with the entire squad and support staff.
This series marks an important moment for Bangladesh, who are coming off a historic Test series win against Pakistan, where they secured a 2-0 whitewash, including a commanding 10-wicket victory in the first Test and a six-wicket win in the second. This success has given the team added confidence as they face the formidable Indian side in two Tests and three T20Is.
The first Test is scheduled to begin on September 19 in Chennai, followed by the second Test in Kanpur on September 27. Bangladesh’s recent form, combined with the challenge of playing India on home soil, sets the stage for an exciting contest.
At a pre-departure press conference in Dhaka, Najmul acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming series, yet expressed optimism given Bangladesh’s recent performances.
“It will be a challenging series, but we have the extra confidence from the Pakistan series. I think the whole country shares that confidence now. Every series is an opportunity. We want to win both Tests, but we need to stick to our process. If we do our job, we can get a good result,” said the Bangladesh captain.
Shanto also spoke about Bangladesh’s ambitions to achieve their first Test victory in India, focusing on disciplined performance across five days.
“Our goal is to perform well over the five days of each Test. We aim to get a result in the final session, where the match can go in any direction. It’s an opportunity to secure our first win in India. We will play with a winning mindset, but we don’t want to think too far ahead. We must focus on playing to our strengths over five days,” he added.
One of Bangladesh’s strengths is its well-rounded bowling attack, a point Shanto highlighted, noting that both their spinners and pacers are capable of making an impact.
“Our bowling attack is in a good place, both in terms of spin and pace. While our pacers might lack the same experience as India’s, our spin attack is close to theirs. They can bowl in any conditions. All I can say is that our pacers, spinners, and batters will give 100%.”
With India ranked higher than Bangladesh, the series promises to be a stern test. However, the recent form of the Bangladesh squad has raised expectations that they could challenge India, even on Indian soil. As the countdown to the first Test begins, all eyes will be on Chennai to see how the action unfolds.