Team India will face off against Bangladesh in a two-match Test series starting on 14 December 2022. This series holds significance for India as it is a part of the 2021/23 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
KL Rahul will lead the side in the absence of Rohit Sharma. India have played 11 Test matches against Bangladesh winning 9 out of them while only 2 draws. There are a few changes in the team as Sourabh Kumar and Navdeep Saini made it into the squad
Abhimanyu Easwaran replaces Indian team captain Rohit Sharma while Jaydev Unadkat has been recalled into the Test team after a gap of 12 years.
The Indian team would be looking to continue their dominant run over Bangladesh in Test matches and gain valuable points in the race for the ICC Test Championship finals.
Here we look at the 3 Indian players to look out for in the Test series against Bangladesh
#1 Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill is an explosive opening batter that can create an impact with his shot-making. He was given rest in the ODI series against Bangladesh and would be hoping to provide a decent start to the Indian team along with KL Rahul.
The conditions at the Zahur Chaudhary Stadium, Chattorgam looks like a placid wicket to bat on. Gill would be hoping to show his class and keep pressure against Bangladesh. He would be looking to make use of conditions and survive the new ball before showing his array of strokes.
He has played so far 11 matches (21 innings) with 579 runs at an average of 30.47. Gill would look at his batting skills making sure that the Indian team provide solid starts.
#2 Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant is one of the best wicketkeeper batters for Team India in Test matches. Coming at number 6, Pant can change the course of the game with his explosive hitting and keep the pressure on opposition batters.
His performance in the longer format created a major impact. He has been the backbone of Indian Test batting for quite some time. Pant would be looking to show his class after resting from the ODI series against Bangladesh.
Playing his first Test match on Bangladesh soil, Team India would be hoping that Pant can continue aggressive batting and help them to post big totals.
Pant has played so far 31 matches (53 innings) and made 2123 runs with an average of 43.32. His ability to smash the bowlers with ease makes him a dangerous batter to bowl at. He has scored 5 centuries and 10 half-centuries.
#3 Axar Patel
Axar Patel could be another useful option with both bat and ball. He has created enough impact with the ball bowling stump to stump line.
Patel has played so far 6 Test matches and grabbed 39 wickets at an economy of 2.22 runs per over. He wreaked havoc when England visited India for four-match Test series in 2021. The conditions helped the spinners.
Patel would be looking to prove his worth on good batting pitches. He looked decent enough in the ODI series with decent contributions in 2nd ODI. His performance in the 3rd ODI looked impressive picking up early wickets.
There are four spinners including Kuldeep Yadav, Saurabh Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin or Axar Patel. Axar Patel is a decent batter that can contribute lower down the order.
With R Ashwin likely to feature in playing XI, Axar Patel with his batting abilities and experience can be selected ahead of the rest of the 2 options.
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