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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Pick Your Indian Team For 1st Test

Pick Your Indian Team For 1st Test

By HARISH KOTIAN
December 12, 2022 17:53 IST
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IMAGE: Who will Head Coach Rahul Dravid pick in India's playing XI for the first Test? Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

On a high after their ODI series triumph against India, Bangladesh will aim to continue in the same vein and register their first-ever Test win against the visitors.

Bangladesh have never beaten India in 11 Tests so far, losing nine, while two ended in draw,s but the ODI series win will be a big morale-booster for the home team.

In fact, this could be Bangladesh's best chance to register their maiden Test win against India, who have been hit hard with injuries.

The cramped international calendar has seen India switch formats like crazy playing almost non-stop without any sufficient break in the last year or so.

Having mostly played white ball cricket this year, India return to the Test arena after almost nine months, having last whitewashed Sri Lanka 2-0 in the home series in March.

India have been hampered by injury to Captain Rohit Sharma, who has been ruled out of the first Test, while regulars like Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah will miss the two-Test series because of injuries.

K L Rahul will lead India, who boast of a strong batting line-up in Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill.

Bengal Captain Abhimanyu Easwaran has been included in place of Rohit, but is unlikely to get a game with India set to open with Rahul and Gill.

India are likely to field specialist five bowlers including two spinners and three pacers. It remains to be seen which among the trio of left-arm spinners is picked to partner Ravichandran Ashwin as the pitch at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chattogram deteriorates rapidly and provides a lot of help to the spinners in the third and fourth innings.

Wrist Kuldeep Yadav can prove to be a handful if the wickets offers a bit of turn, but the team management might also consider Axar Patel, who is quite handy with the bat, or Saurabh Kumar, who took 15 wickets for India A in the two unofficial Tests against Bangladesh A ahead of the Tests.

Among the fast bowlers, India could go in with Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and one amongst Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat.

 

Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting on Wednesday?

Please select your team from the list below and do post your playing XI in the message board below:

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HARISH KOTIAN / Rediff.com

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