"This is Bangladesh's Best Test Team" - Harsha Bhogle

The two-match Test series between visiting Bangladesh and host India is set to begin on September 19. Bangladesh has already arrived in Chennai, the venue for the first match. Historically, the statistics between Bangladesh and India in Test cricket suggest a one-sided contest dominated by India. However, popular commentator and cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle believes that Bangladesh will put up a fight this time.

Bhogle shared his thoughts on Bangladesh's squad on his YouTube channel, where he mentioned that this is the best Bangladesh Test team he has ever seen.

Here’s a summary of Harsha Bhogle’s analysis for Cricket97 readers:

“I am really happy that India has once again invited Bangladesh for a Test series. Unfortunately, this country does not get invited much. Since 2010, Bangladesh hasn’t played a Test in England. And Australia? They only invited them once for a Test in 2003, and that too during the off-season. So, I’m glad India is doing their duty by inviting Bangladesh to play a Test series in India.”

“Having said that, it’s also true that series against Bangladesh don’t usually have much intensity. In previous encounters, Bangladesh hasn’t managed to put up much of a contest. They have played 13 Tests against India, drawn a few due to rain, and lost 11. There was one match they almost won, but I didn’t see the hunger to finish the game. Even in the Pink Ball Test in 2019, I didn’t sense that fight from them.”

“Despite all that, why am I interested in Bangladesh’s tour this time? Because I genuinely believe this is the best Test team I have seen from them in a very long time. And there are reasons for that.”

“The first reason is pace. Nahid Rana is one of the most exciting bowlers to emerge from Bangladesh in recent times. Whenever you see genuine pace, it’s captivating. We’ve seen him trouble many good Pakistani batters. Hasan Mahmud has been taking wickets. I believe this is Taskin Ahmed’s last chance to prove why so many rate him highly. They have a solid group of three pace bowlers.”

“But the main reason I rate them higher this time is their top eight players. You have two genuine wicketkeepers who are also solid batters. Plus, they have two accomplished spin-bowling allrounders. Shakib Al Hasan, of course, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who seems to improve every time I watch him.”

“Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz are both ready to take on bigger responsibilities. I don’t know how long Shakib will continue playing; his time is nearing an end. Mushfiqur Rahim is still batting well, but when those two eventually step away, Litton and Miraz are suitable replacements.”

“If you look at the batters at No. 5, 6, 7, and 8—Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz—all of them bat one spot lower than they could, which speaks to the depth and strength of Bangladesh’s batting lineup.”

“But they need runs from their top four, especially from two players who have previously proven themselves as good Test batters for Bangladesh. Their captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is a good player but is struggling with form. Then there’s Mominul Haque, who has been serving Bangladesh for a long time in Tests. They need runs from Shanto and Mominul at No. 3 and 4. Plus, they need to find openers who will score runs. We saw Zakir Hasan impress in a tricky run chase against Pakistan. I wanted to see more from Shadman Islam, and Mahmudul Hasan Joy hasn’t been seen much due to injury. If the top four don’t score, it puts pressure on the batters at No. 5-8, so the top four will be a crucial test for Bangladesh.”

“I don’t think Bangladesh will get the kind of wickets in India that they are used to at home. India won’t prepare turning wickets, as that would minimize the gap between the two teams. Bangladesh has three quality finger spinners in Shakib, Taijul, and Miraz, so I don’t think India will take that risk. Don’t be surprised if India prepares pace-friendly wickets.”

“Bumrah, Siraj, maybe Akash Deep with extra pace, or the left-arm Yash Dayal—Bangladesh will face a lot of pace. The challenge for them is whether they can handle pace, bounce, and movement. India will throw high-quality pace and bounce at them. If Bangladesh’s batters manage that, they will then face Ashwin, Jadeja, and possibly Kuldeep (if he plays). Bangladesh is up against very high-quality bowling.”

“India will start as favorites, and I’d say overwhelming favorites. But I want to see Bangladesh fight in a way they haven’t before. If they do, it will be a good Test series.”

Bangladesh’s Test Squad:

Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Jaker Ali Anik.

India’s Squad for the First Test:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.