The BCCI on Sunday announced India’s squad for the first Test against Bangladesh. Rishabh Pant made a return to the Test team, while Yash Dayal received a maiden call-up. There was, however, no place for Shreyas Iyer in the squad.
The squad also saw the return of Jasprit Bumrah to international cricket for the first time since playing a key role in India’s T20 World Cup victory in June. Bumrah will partner Mohammed Siraj in the Test series, with Akash Deep and Dayal being the other two pacers in the side. India have justifiably opted for a spin-heavy attack with four spinners in the side; Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel , and Kuldeep Yadav, all keep their places in the side.
The Duleep Trophy, which preceded the series between India and Bangladesh, was touted to be critical for selection in the Test team, and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant left no stone unturned in making a mark in the first round. While Pant did have a quiet outing with the bat in the first innings against India A, the 26-year-old, representing India B, played a crucial role with a quickfire 61 off just 47 balls to help the side set a competitive 275-run target. With gloves, Pant was impeccable behind the stumps, showcasing his skills and reflexes to optimum effect; he took a series of impressive catches behind the stumps, and remained his chirpy self to put the batters on edge throughout the game.
With Pant, Dhruv Jurel, who made his Test debut earlier this year during the series against England, retained his place in the side. Jurel received his maiden call-up in the Test side following the inconsistent performances from senior wicketkeeper-batter, KS Bharat. The 23-year-old quickly grabbed the eye with important contributions in the middle-order, including a solid 90-run knock in his second Test in Ranchi.
It is, however, likely that Pant will start the series as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. In addition to significant Test credentials, Pant has been an India regular in the white-ball formats and was part of India’s last tour of Sri Lanka, too.
Virat Kohli returns
Team India’s star batter, Virat Kohli, returned to the Test team after missing the series against England earlier this year due to personal reasons. Kohli made himself unavailable for selection for all five Tests in the series, and the focus will be on the star batter as he plays in the red-ball format for the first time this year.
In August, Kohli, alongside captain Rohit Sharma, made a return to the ODIs for the first time since the World Cup last year, when the side toured Sri Lanka. The series exposed the Indian batters’ considerable struggles against spin, which now keeps the spotlight on how they will handle Bangladesh’s spin threat. Bangladesh’s spinners were instrumental in their recent 2-0 clean-sweep victory over Pakistan, adding to the challenge that awaits the Indian team.
No place for Iyer
Despite scoring a brisk half-century for India D in the second innings of the Duleep Trophy match against India C, Shreyas Iyer’s performance wasn’t enough to secure a Test selection. The year 2024 has been a roller-coaster for Iyer; after sustaining an injury during India’s Test series against England, he was dropped from the BCCI’s central contracts due to his apparent unavailability for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.
Iyer eventually returned to Mumbai and played a crucial role in leading the team to a title win. He also captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to a third IPL title, which was pivotal to his comeback to the Indian team in the white-ball series against Sri Lanka.
However, Iyer’s red-ball form has been far from impressive. He had a subdued performance in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament last month and managed only 9 runs in the first innings of the Duleep Trophy’s first-round match. With the competition for middle-order spots intensifying, Iyer was unable to secure a place in the Test squad.
Sarfaraz Khan, who dazzled with his aggressive batting in his debut series against England earlier this year, retained his spot, while KL Rahul was also preferred over Iyer.
India’s squad for 1st Test vs Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
