Gautam Gambhir, Team India’s head coach, has announced the playing XI for the opening Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh. Gautam Gambhir also announced that Rishabh Pant will be favored over Dhruv Jurel as the wicketkeeper-batsman in the XI for the series opener.
The first of the two Tests against Bangladesh will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 19. The second and final Test will be played at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27.
Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan made their debuts for India in the third Test of the five-match home series against England in Rajkot. Sarfaraz got two half-centuries in his first Test match. Jurel was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his outstanding batting performance in his second Test.
Gautam Gambhir stated that the squad prefers to select the best XI rather than drop individuals. He stated that Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan are excellent talents, but they may have to wait for their opportunities.
“We don’t drop anyone. We just pick the players who fit the XI. We believe in selecting the XI. Jurel is a phenomenal player when Pant is coming in, sometimes people have to wait. Same with Sarfaraz. There will be opportunities and you have to wait,” Gambhir said at the pre-match press conference in Chennai on Wednesday.
Sarfaraz had an excellent start to his Test career, scoring 200 runs with three fifties to his name. On the other hand, Dhruv Jurel has 190 runs with one fifty to his name. But with Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul returning to the XI, Sarfaraz and Jurel will have to wait for their next chance.
Rishabh Pant’s batting overshadows his wicketkeeping: Gautam Gambhir
Rishabh Pant will be playing his first Test match since December 2022. He met with a serious accident that same month and was out of action for 18 months as he underwent surgeries, recovery, and rehab. He made his way back in IPL 2024 and was part of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 win as well.
Gautam Gambhir applauded Rishabh Pant’s strong performance. Pant, according to the head coach, can be destructive with the bat while also being good with the wicketkeeping gloves. Gambhir underlined that Pant’s hitting frequently outperforms his wicketkeeping, particularly against spinners.
“We all know how destructive he can be and what he has done. Not many of his age has done it across conditions. With batting and behind the stumps he has been phenomenal. His batting over shadows his keeping especially against the spinners,” Gambhir added.
Rishabh Pant last played a Test match for India against Bangladesh in December 2022.
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