IND vs BAN, 2024-25 Tests: Key Match ups to look forward to ahead of the Chennai Test. Bangladesh's young pace attack can pose threat to India batters.
Team India’s home Test season is set to commence when they take on their neighbours Bangladesh in a 2-match Test series starting 19 September at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. While the home team may look odds-on favourites to win the series on paper, Bangladesh have proved they are not pushovers in the format anymore.
The visiting team led by Najmul Hossain Shanto will come into this tourney with a lot of confidence behind them having whitewashed Pakistan (2-0) at their own den just a few weeks earlier. This historical first-time feat should give them a huge boost while facing a team they have yet to beat in the format.
We will look at some of the interesting battles within the battle that could arise in this short yet exciting Test series between two Asian giants.
Bangladesh pacers (Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed, and Hasan Mahmud) vs India’s top order
With one of Bangladesh’s premier pacers, Shoriful Islam, ruled out of the series due to an injury, the brunt of expectations will fall upon the pace trio of Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed, and Hasan Mahmud. Each of these players played a pivotal role in the team beating Pakistan at Rawalpindi not long ago.
But barring Taskin, the other two pacers have not faced India in a Test match before, and it would be a different kettle of fish altogether. Both Rana and Mahmud have appeared in just three Tests each for Bangladesh, picking 11 and 14 wickets, respectively. However, Rana’s menacing pace (up to late 140 kph) and Mahmud’s ability to swing the new ball will come in handy for Bangladesh against India’s top order early on.
Taskin, who is Bangladesh’s most experienced pacer with 34 wickets in 14 Tests at a below-par average of 48.29 in Tests, will assume responsibility for being their pace leader. The 29-year-old has a mediocre record against India’s Virat Kohli, conceding 72 runs while getting him out once in 71 balls. Shubman Gill (4 runs) is the only other India top-order batter he has bowled to in a Test.
The trio’s main challenge will be to not let a strong batting line-up (Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill) of India take control of things. This is because all four of them would like to attack the pacers, especially at home.
For instance, since 2021, Rohit has scored 358 runs in 21 innings against right-arm pacers at home, and it comes at an average of 44.8 while striking at over 62. Likewise, Jaiswal has piled up 137 runs since his debut at an amazing strike rate of 63.4 in 9 outings. Gill too possesses an attacking game against right-arm pacers, with his strike rate hovering around 64, scoring 269 runs (dismissed 10 times) and Kohli making 91 runs in eight knocks against right-arm pacers.
Hence, it is safe to conclude that the three right-arm pacers of Bangladesh will face different sets of challenges against India’s batting might.
India spinners vs Bangladesh middle order
It will be a battle of experience when the middle-order trio of Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Shakib Al Hasan take on India’s famed spinners. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, along with Kuldeep Yadav, have played a key role in asserting India’s dominance at home over the years.
While Shakib has had a good time facing Ashwin (out twice scoring 64 runs), he has struggled to get going against Kuldeep, losing his wicket twice to him in 14 balls. So, Shakib facing Kuldeep should give us a lot of tense moments in the series.
Mushfiqur has not let India’s lead spinners settle as he has scored 137 runs against Ashwin, getting out four times and hammering 72 off Jadeja without getting dismissed. However, Axar has troubled Mushfiqur, getting his wicket on two occasions while conceding just nine runs.
Liton, the hero for Bangladesh against Pakistan, is yet to be dismissed in Tests by Ravindra Jadeja or Axar but has found proceedings tough when it comes to facing Ashwin (3 outs and 55 runs).
India pacers can breathe fire
Team India has been doing consistently in recent years, both home and away, and much of this can be attributed to the emergence of their pace department. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami have been instrumental in winning games for the Rohit Sharma-led side.
Though Shami misses out in this series, both Bumrah and Siraj can run through a batting order even on surfaces that don’t offer much for pacers. In 8 home Tests, Bumrah has picked 33 wickets with two 5-wicket hauls. However, this would be his first Test outing against Bangladesh. Siraj has played Bangladesh twice in Tests, both times away. He has picked up six wickets against them.
They will be supported by an exciting duo of Akash Deep, who impressed on his Test debut (3/83) against England, and uncapped left-arm pacer Yash Dayal. The home side will hope they can create havoc in both Chennai and Kanpur.
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