It’s such a rare scene to see India not playing cricket for a month amidst all the busy schedules, but that has been a huge advantage for the players to freshen up before a very long home and away season. Since their ODI series defeat with a margin of 2-1 in Sri Lanka, the Blue Brigade has yet to feature in a game.
India will start their home season with the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, both of which games will be part of the ongoing third cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25. These games will be quite vital for the hosts to aim for their third straight final in the event.
The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side did an excellent job in their recent two-match red-ball series win in Pakistan, and they will be keen to show the same performance in this series, which won’t be as easy as it was in Pakistan.
BCCI reveals umpires for India’s 2-Tests vs Bangladesh
This will be the first red-ball series between India and Bangladesh since the 2022 away series of the Rohit Sharma-led side, where they showed great character to make a mark in the two games against the quality spin attack of Shanto’s side on a low and slow surface.
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At the current status of the WTC 2023-25 cycle, the Indian team is at the top position with six victories in nine games with a percentage of 68.52, thanks to their 4-1 series win over England at home towards the start of the year.
On the other hand, Bangladesh, with some great performances in the last series, has been promoted to the fourth spot thanks to their three victories and three defeats each in six games at a percentage of 45.83.
The two-match series between these two teams is nearing, as the umpires have been revealed. The reports have confirmed that Rod Tucker and Richard Kettleborough, two of the veteran umpires, will officiate the first game starting on September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
When the teams move to Green Park Stadium in Kanpur for the second Test, starting from September 27, Kettleborough will hold his place, as Chris Brown will replace Tucker as the on-field umpire for the game.
The reports have also expressed that Rishabh Pant is going to make a comeback in the team, as he looks to mark his Test return after nearly two years, and is expected to be one of the vital members of the side for India’s upcoming five-match series during the Australia trip in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
The selectors are planning to give an extended break to India’s premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, who hasn’t played any comparative game since the end of the victorious campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024. He could play one or two games in the New Zealand series at home before taking the flight to Australia.
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The same goes with Mohammad Shami, who is currently recovering from the injury but is likely to be back for the three matches against the Blackcaps. Mohammad Siraj will be their frontline pacer for the Bangladesh series, while India is also looking to bring the left-arm pace of Arshdeep Singh, while Akash Deep is also expected to be the third pacer of the series.
Virat Kohli, who missed the England home series due to personal reasons, is also going to play his first red-ball game after a gap of eight months as India eyes another Test series win over Bangladesh.