IND vs BAN 2022: 3 takeaways from India's Test squad to tour Bangladesh
While the Indian team is busy in a bid to secure a second ICC Men's T20 World Cup title, the national selectors were busy themselves, naming squads for the tours of New Zealand and Bangladesh earlier this week.
While skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been rested altogether from the tour of New Zealand, they will return for the ODI and Test assignments against the Bengal Tigers. India are set to play three ODIs and two Tests in Bangladesh, with the latter coming in the context of crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points.
India are currently placed fourth in the WTC table with a points percentage of 52.08, behind Australia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Victory in the series against Bangladesh will take them a step closer to sealing a second consecutive berth in the final, with a crucial four-match series against Australia also lined up in early 2023.
On that note, let's assess three key takeaways from the Test squad named for the tour of Bangladesh:
#1 The return of Ravindra Jadeja
A freak knee injury and subsequent surgery abruptly ended Ravindra Jadeja's Asia Cup campaign and ruled him out of the T20 World Cup. His stellar record aside, the Saurashtra all-rounder's value has often been felt even more tellingly in his absence.
One of the best all-rounders in Test cricket, in particular, his bowling on what is expected to be turning tracks in Bangladesh is bound to be more than a handful. Most importantly, though, he lends the much-needed balance that the Men in Blue craves. Of course, the catch here remains that his availability is subject to fitness, as mentioned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Nevertheless, it remains a positive sign ahead of a big calendar year in 2023, with a home series against Australia, a potential WTC final, and the ODI World Cup looming. Jadeja's fitness is imperative to India's hopes, given the three-dimensional flexibility he lends.
#2 Hanuma Vihari falls out of favor after Cheteshwar Pujara's return to form
When Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were dropped from the setup ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka, it opened a window of opportunity for Hanuma Vihari. Having played a solitary home Test until the series against the Lankans earlier this year, he responded with a solid display in Mohali and Bengaluru.
However, a failure in the rescheduled fifth Test against England in Birmingham has now seen Vihari discarded from the setup. Given that he hasn't had a regular run in the team, it comes as a surprise that he has fallen out of favor with the selectors. However, Pujara racking up daddy hundreds for Sussex in the County Championship, apart from a defiant 66 in the second innings at Birmingham, has put him in the mix again.
With Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer in the mix, India have enough batting ammunition. Despite leading the Rest of India in the recent Irani Cup clash against Saurashtra and scoring 82 in the first essay, it's back to the drawing board for Vihari.
#3 Kuldeep Yadav remains in the scheme of things
It has been a turbulent ride for Kuldeep Yadav since 2019 when he was India's lynchpin in white ball cricket and was dubbed by then-head coach Ravi Shastri as their first choice overseas spinning option in Tests.
2022 has been kinder to the left-arm wrist-spinner. After a stellar IPL season for the Delhi Capitals, he has done well in the ODI format when given an opportunity, while also earning a recall to the T20 squad to tour New Zealand. He last donned the India whites in February 2021 and has warmed the benches since then, but he seems to be viewed seriously by the current selection panel.
With the troika of Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Jadeja in the mix, Kuldeep may not be a sure starter in Bangladesh. But his inclusion ahead of the likes of Washington Sundar is a sign that his variety is seen as a pivotal component of the Indian Test team moving forward.
What is your take on India's Test squad named to tour Bangladesh? Let us know in the comments section below!
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