The Indian cricket team’s preparations for the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh, commencing on September 19, reached a fever pitch during an intensive practice session at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday. Led by captain Rohit Sharma, the entire 16-man squad participated in the rigorous training session.
Virat Kohli, one of the team’s batting stalwarts, was among the first to enter the nets, facing the pace of Jasprit Bumrah and the spin of R Ashwin, who is set to make his 101st Test appearance. Yashasvi Jaiswal, the left-handed opener, joined Kohli in the adjacent net.
Following them, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Sarfaraz Khan took their turns at the crease. Sarfaraz had recently arrived in Chennai after participating in the second round of the Duleep Trophy match in Anantapur. Rohit, known for his prowess against spin, focused on honing his skills against the Bangladeshi team’s spin-heavy attack.
Other team members, including all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, also had their share of batting practice against local bowlers and faced a significant number of throwdowns.
The practice pitch on the main square provided a reasonable level of bounce, giving the batsmen a good workout. India has scheduled two additional practice sessions before the series opener against Bangladesh, who are brimming with confidence following their clean sweep in Pakistan.
The playing eleven for the first Test is largely self-selecting. The Chennai pitch typically assists spinners, and there’s a good chance India will field three spinners and two pacers for the match. Ashwin, Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav are the likely spinners, while Bumrah and Siraj will handle the pace-bowling duties. Despite his impressive all-round performances across formats, Axar Patel may have to sit out this game.
In the batting department, Pant is anticipated to make his Test comeback after a nearly two-year absence. In that case, Dhruv Jurel, who impressed in his debut series against England, will be on the bench.
