Bangladesh will face India in the first Test match of the Idea Cup two-Test match series, which begins today at 9.30 am at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong, the port city of the country.
Bangladesh Television will telecast the match live from the stadium everyday.
Bangladesh will include spinner Enamul Haque (Junior) instead of Abdur Razzak. One of the part-timers should make way for another specialist batsman likelihood. Medium pacer Shahadat Hossain, who was in the squad for the Tri-Nation Cricket Tournament but not used, should take back in the first Test.
On the other hand, India will use two specialist spinners in the first Test. Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha will likely play in the first Test against the host.
The pitch of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium has traditionally been good for spinners. Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan took seven for 36 against New Zealand in this venue which is the best bowling figures by a Bangladeshi bowler in the Test so far.
Coach of Bangladesh Cricket team Jamie Siddons said, ” We might possibly go with three quicks and have Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmud Ullah Riyad share the spin bowling. The pitch might keep low on days three, four, five and seamers might be handy. But again, nothing is fixed, we might go with three spinners.”
Virender Sehwag, the prolific batsman of India said, “In ODI Cricket Bangladesh Cricket team can surprise anybody but not in Test matches. It’s difficult for Bangladesh to take 20 Indian wickets. The kind of batting line up we have, I don’t think so. Even Sri Lanka can’t do that.
Probable Squads :
Bangladesh Cricket team: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Zunaed Siddiqui, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Roqibul Hassan, Enamul Haque (Junior), Shahadat Hossain, Rubel Hossain.
India Cricket team: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, MS Dhoni (Captain), Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra/Pragyan Ojha, Sreesanth. Courtesy