Najmul Shanto to lead 16-member Bangladesh in IND vs BAN two-match Test series; Jaker Ali replaces Shoriful Islam
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday, September 12, announced the national squad for the upcoming two-match Test series in India. Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead the 16-member side after a 2-0 whitewash in Pakistan. Jaker Ali has replaced Shoriful Islam in the squad as the visitors retained their core following their exploits in Pakistan. The latter managed three wickets in the second Test against the Men in Green.
Jaker Ali is the backup wicketkeeper-batter, scoring 245 runs in 17 Tests. The 26-year-old has 2862 runs in 49 first-class matches, comprising four tons and 19 half-centuries.
Bangladesh squad for Test series in India: Najmul Shanto (captain), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Taijul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Nayeem Hasan, Khaled Ahmed.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already announced India's squad for the opening Test. Rohit Sharma will lead the 16-member team.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Shanto banks on senior players to deliver in India
Bangladesh captain Najmul Shanto has backed his senior players and all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz to deliver in India after a promising performance in Pakistan. He said (via Cricbuzz):
“(On Miraz) The way he bowled and took 5 wickets in these conditions is very impressive, and hope he can do the same against India. Next series is very important and this win gives us a lot of confidence. We have a lot of experience in Mushi and Shakib, and they will be important in India.”
Miraz bagged 10 wickets and scored 155 runs in the two Test matches against Pakistan. Meanwhile, Mushfiqur Rahim scored 191 runs in the opening Test, which helped his team beat Pakistan by 10 wickets to register their first-ever Test win against their opponents. Ace all-rounder Shakib also bagged six wickets in two Tests.
The first of the two Tests will start at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on September 19. The action will then shift to Kanpur for the second Test.
Notably, Bangladesh are yet to beat India in a Test match, losing 11 out of 13 games, while two ended in draws.