India and Bangladesh start their first Test match today at 9 AM at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. A string of injuries to senior players has forced India to adjust its squad, leaving the bowling attack noticeably weakened without the presence of Mohammed Shami and the recovering Ravindra Jadeja.
The first Test match between India and Bangladesh will kick off today at 9 AM at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Team India was forced to make a few changes to its Test squad because of injuries to a number of senior players. Senior pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out with injury while all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who is recovering from an injury, is also not available. The absence of Shami and Jadeja leaves the Indian bowling attack thin.
The Indian coaching staff is hoping that captain Rohit Sharma can make his comeback for the second Test. Mohammad Kaif, a former Indian cricketer, believes that Rohit's absence actually takes the pressure off Rahul Dravid when picking the team, as it removes the dilemma of deciding which of the three candidates—Rohit, KL Rahul, or Shubman Gill—should open the innings.
Kaif is confident that KL Rahul and Shubman Gill will take the opening roles in the first match. He expects the batting order to follow with Cheteshwar Pujara at three, Virat Kohli at four, Shreyas Iyer at five, and Rishabh Pant at six, followed by R. Ashwin and the bowling unit. He also mentioned that despite being the official replacement for Rohit, Abhimanyu Easwaran might not get an opportunity to play.
Easwaran has been playing exceptionally well, hitting two centuries during the four-day clashes against Bangladesh A. However, shifting to the captaincy, Kaif noted that Rohit has maintained a strong record since taking the lead, though he cautioned that it is still too early to fully evaluate his impact as a captain.