India-Bangladesh Combined XI

On Thursday, India and Bangladesh will play the one-off Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal in Hyderabad. It will be the first time that the latter will be playing a game in India and it will be interesting to see if they can replicate the performances at home in Indian conditions as well.

India will obviously start favourites in this game and they will hope to carry the form in Tests in 2016 into 2017 as well and hopefully, they can get off to a good start when the Test season resumes on Thursday.

Here we take a look at a combined India-Bangladesh XI:

1.Murali Vijay

The Indian opener, who has played a Test match last year on his home turf against England, will be eager to get going in the one-off Test against Bangladesh. A lot is often spoken about how Virat Kohli is the lynchpin of the present batting line-up or how Ajinkya Rahane rescues the side from a state of crisis.

However, few speak about the foundation that someone like a Vijay has laid at the top of the order, in some hostile conditions against some lively attacks. Nottingham 2014, Brisbane 2015 are some examples for his ability to put India in a strong position on his own.

The 32-year-old, who had a decent 2016 with the bat, scored a century the last time he played against this opposition and ahead of the Australia test series, beginning at the end of this month, will look to get going and provide India with the starts it needs at the top of the order.

2.Tamim Iqbal

Apart from the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim etc, if there is one batsman, who is not spoken of in the same breath as them, it is Tamim Iqbal. The left-hander has played 46 Tests and averages a healthy 39.57 with the bat, including 8 centuries and 20 half centuries.

Iqbal’s role is to get the team off to a flying start, however, not throw his wicket away quickly. He has shown in the past that he hs the ability to play the big innings, as was seen in the Test against Pakistan, where he made a double hundred and put on a huge stand for the 1st wicket.

While there is just one Test for him to show his batting prowess, a good performance against an in-form Indian bowling attack will do his confidence a world of good.