Team India commenced their practice session in preparation for the first Test against Bangladesh, which is set to begin on September 19. The two-match series between India and Bangladesh will kick off on September 19 in Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The second Test is scheduled to start on September 27 in Kanpur.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir, who is undertaking his first Test assignment, is focused on securing a series victory. The practice session saw the presence of key players, including the spin quartet of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and star batters such as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, among others.
The official Twitter account of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video from the practice session, stating, "Preps in full swing here in Chennai! Inching closer to the #INDvBAN Test opener #TeamIndia | @IDFCFIRSTBank".
Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the Test team. Fast bowlers Akash Deep and Yash Dayal have been given their maiden call-ups, while Rishabh Pant has returned to Test cricket following his life-threatening accident in December 2022.
Notably, Virat Kohli will also make a comeback to the Test format after missing India's home series against England due to the birth of his son, Akaay. Kohli has had a challenging period, including an underwhelming T20 World Cup and a tour of Sri Lanka, and will be eager to regain his form.
KL Rahul has also returned to the Test squad after recovering from an injury that kept him out of most of the England series. Jasprit Bumrah, often referred to as a "national treasure," is back in the team following his match-winning performance in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa earlier this year.
The spin quartet of Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar, and Kuldeep will play a crucial role with both bat and ball. Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Yash Dayal form India's pace attack. Akash Deep earned his spot in the team after a strong showing in the Duleep Trophy, while Yash Dayal has also received his maiden call-up.
For Rohit Sharma's team, this series against Bangladesh will be followed by New Zealand's tour of India for three Tests starting from October 16, and then the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia from November 22.
India's squad for the 1st Test against Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
