3 clear indications from India's squad for the Bangladesh Test series
The BCCI recently announced India's squad for the first Test against Bangladesh. The opening game of the two-match series will commence on September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The picked contingent was along expected lines, with all the first-choice names, barring Mohammed Shami, available for selection. Rohit Sharma will lead the unit, with senior men like Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja available to add experience and veteran leadership to the side.
India’s squad for the 1st Test of the Bangladesh series: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
With India still having plenty to play for in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, the selectors have adopted a fairly predictable approach while selecting a squad for the upcoming rubber.
On that note, here are three clear indications from India's squad for the Bangladesh Test series.
#3 The core of the squad has been established ahead of the Australia Tests
The two-match Test series against Bangladesh will be important to India's World Test Championship hopes. But the main attractions will come later in the year in the form of a home series against New Zealand and a challenging tour of Australia.
India need to identify their ideal squad for their trip Down Under, and early indications suggest they are close to working out their combination. There are perhaps a couple of questions in the pace attack, but in the batting and spin-bowling departments, most bases seem to be covered.
The BCCI's squad selection for the Bangladesh series reflects that. There were hardly any picks up for debate, with most of the unit picking itself.
#2 The BCCI seems keen on adopting a patient approach while naming Rohit Sharma's successor
Interestingly, the BCCI's announcement didn't have a vice-captain to deputize for Rohit Sharma. There are several candidates, including Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill, but the selectors seem understandably wary of naming one.
While Bumrah's workload needs to be managed carefully, Pant has not played a Test since his car accident. On the other hand, Gill is still finding his feet in the format, and Rahul has been in and out of the side across formats.
Rohit is nearing the end of his career, and the Test format's demands won't be kind to his aging body. However, the BCCI seems content to adopt a wait-and-watch approach for now.
#1 India seem desperate for pace backups
As Mohammed Shami continues his spell on the sidelines, India have been left searching for reinforcements across formats. In white-ball cricket, the likes of Khaleel Ahmed, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Tushar Deshpande, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar have been tried out recently.
However, in Tests, the selectors have yet to identify the right personnel to partner with Jasprit Bumrah. Mohammed Siraj is the prime candidate, while Akash Deep has been fairly impressive lately.
For the Bangladesh Tests, India have handed Yash Dayal his maiden international call-up. The left-arm seamer can swing the ball both ways, even if pace isn't one of his strengths.
There seems to be a lack of clarity regarding the side's ideal pace backups, as suggested by the decision to select Dayal out of the blue.