Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has expressed skepticism about Bangladesh’s ability to challenge India in the upcoming Test series, despite Bangladesh’s recent success in Pakistan. Speaking on India’s prospects on Cricbuzz, Karthik emphasized that winning against India on home soil is a significant challenge.
“I personally don’t think so. I think beating India in India is a humongous task. Bangladesh has played well in Pakistan. But no, I don’t think there will be much trouble for India to beat Bangladesh,” Karthik remarked.
Discussing India’s squad selection, Karthik highlighted the possibility of including young pacer Harshit Rana. However, he noted that the team already has four established medium pacers.
“Could there be a chance for Harshit Rana? I thought he bowled very well, something very special about him. They already have four medium pacers, who are good medium pacers. So, it’s a good team,” Karthik said.
Karthik also suggested that India might prepare pace-friendly pitches for the series, which would help against Bangladesh and serve as preparation for the upcoming series against Australia.
“I get the feeling India’s going to play on slightly pace-oriented pitches, knowing that it’s a good way to beat Bangladesh. Also, they will be preparing for the Australian Test series. I think they will only play with two spinners—Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja—followed by three fast bowlers,” he explained.
Regarding KL Rahul’s role in the team, Karthik praised his improvement as a wicketkeeper but voiced concerns about the physical demands of keeping in Test matches.
“KL Rahul is a very good keeper, who has improved a lot. And I don’t think it’s fair to call him a part-time wicketkeeper anymore,” Karthik stated. He added, “Keeping in Test cricket is hard work across five days, and he’s had his struggles with injuries. He has a back he needs to take care of in the long run. So, I don’t think it’s fair to entrust him with the keeping spot. But I genuinely feel he will make it as a batter and do really well this season.”
With the series against Bangladesh approaching, Team India appears well-prepared with strong batting and bowling units.
