India hopes for a winning start against rising Bangladesh

Virender Sehwag famously expressed this sentiment in 2010 when he described Bangladesh as “ordinary” for not having enough bowlers to take 20 wickets. Now is probably a good time to set the record straight, because just weeks after a historic series win in Pakistan, Bangladesh have arrived in India with perhaps their best bowling attack ever. And that they mean business is evident from the urgency with which they applied for a visa for Shakib Al Hasan so he could be flown in from England's county circuit and join the team here on Tuesday night.

But this is just the first of many steps Bangladesh must take to beat India twice in a row at home. Apart from England, no team has managed to do this since 2012. And although much has changed in the personnel on and off the field over the past 12 years, belief in this has not grown.

“I firmly believe that we fear no one, we respect everyone,” said Gautam Gambhir, who will be making his first Test appearance since taking over as India's head coach in July. “I congratulate them on what they did in Pakistan, but this is a new series and they are a quality team and we want to play good cricket.”

India are hoping to make it three consecutive World Test Championship finals and know that a series win will help the country consolidate their position at the top of the table. But after a long break, there is reason to be a little cautious to avoid getting rusty or perhaps even showing a little complacency that could creep in after winning the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka had a quick win in the One-Day Tests. But India cannot afford any slip-ups in Tests where every point counts.

Talent is one thing, but Bangladesh will have to work beyond their limits to even come close to that scenario, with the important requirement of being emotionally detached from the highs and lows of the game. Fortunately for Bangladesh, the Pakistan series has underlined their composure in salvaging games from bad situations.

“I think in the last 10-15 years, most of the players have gained experience. Recently, players are not getting so emotional. I felt that in the last few years, we have had better control over our emotions,” said Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. “And we think about our game, not what happens if we lose or win. We just try to give 100% in every single game. That's why it seems calm and follows every single plan.”

Still, it's probably no exaggeration to say this is Bangladesh's toughest task yet. Local Ravichandran Ashwin, who has played exactly 100 Tests, knows how the Chepauk surface changes with each session and has probably come up with at least a dozen different bowling angles, speeds, launch heights and seam positions by now.

And with Bangladesh's top four batsmen all left-handed, Ashwin could come in earlier than usual. Ravindra Jadeja, who has a particular fondness for red earth pitches, is expected to bat tirelessly in tandem. How the pitch presents itself on match day will be a factor, but there is a good chance India will simply use Kuldeep Yadav as the third spinner, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj sharing the new ball.

Virat Kohli makes his long-awaited comeback and will look to more than make up for his absence from the England tour earlier this year. Also welcome is Rishabh Pant, who returns for his first Test match since a car crash in December 2022 that almost ended his career. That means Dhruv Jurel, who impressed against England, will have to drop down the queue. “Jurel is a phenomenal player but when Pant comes in, sometimes people have to wait,” Gambhir said.

Sarfaraz Khan should have made it easily based on his England tour results, but Rohit Sharma had on Tuesday hinted that India might be tempted to give the nod to KL Rahul. “The message we gave him from our side was very simple: we wanted him to play all the games. We want him to get the best out of himself. And it is also our duty to get the best out of him,” Sharma had said. “He has the game to play the spin and the seamers. So I see no reason why he cannot flourish in Test cricket. Obviously the opportunities are there now.”