Batters’ test on the cards in Chennai

Bangladesh will go into the India Tests carrying over confidence from their recent away series win against Pakistan. However, the first Test in Chennai against the Asian giants is likely to serve up challenges that would test Bangladesh's batting which showed signs of frailty even during the 2-0 sweep in Rawalpindi.

In the two Tests against Pakistan, Bangladesh only had left-handers in the top four and all of whom struggled against in-swinging deliveries, with right-arm pacer Khurram Shahzad exploiting this weakness multiple times throughout the series.

Against India, Bangladesh are likely to be up against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj, right-arm pacers who are much quicker than Shahzad and would surely zero in on exploiting this glaring weakness.

The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is also likely to add to the difficulties for the batters.

In the last two Tests played at the ground, England won one and India took the second during the 2021 series. Joe Root got a double hundred as England won by a big margin of 227 runs on a flat and slow surface.

India then won by a bigger margin, 317, in the second Test while there was hue and cry from the English side over it being played on a 'sandpit' pitch.

The Tigers do not have the best of times on rank turners, even at home. In India, spin takes on even more precedence, with vigorous turns on offer.

If Ravichandran Ashwin is leading the spinners, there is Bumrah leading a lethal pace attack. Couple that with the experience and skill of the Indian attack and with the prominent seam—much harder than Kookaburra or Duke—of the SG balls used in India, the Tiger batters will have to effectively be prepared for anything.

India began their practice session in Chennai yesterday under new coaching staff headed by Gautam Gambhir. What their plans might be heading into a busy Test season where they play New Zealand and Australia in pacey conditions away from home, remains to be seen.

On one hand they could look to unsettle Bangladesh with spin since the conditions present that opportunity but at the same time, pacers may have something in the pitches for them to help prepare for their upcoming away series'.

Bangladesh's former technical consultant Sridharan Sriram, who hails from Chennai, feels 'anything is possible' when it comes to how the Chennai pitch would play.

"I have had a lot of people asking me about Chennai, I honestly don't know as I have been in the UK and haven't been to the stadium after IPL. Anything is possible, depends on how much grass the square has. I don't know how the India team management would want it," Sriram told The Daily Star yesterday.

Thus, a heightened test of batsmanship is on the cards as Bangladesh prepare for the first Test.