Although the first Test between India and Bangladesh starts on Thursday, the playing XI has not yet been officially announced, despite the squad already being named.
However, Monday’s practice session gave indications of the likely starting XI. Based on the order in which the players came to bat or bowl, it’s possible to predict who might play.
On Monday morning, Virat Kohli was the first to bat. Yashasvi Jaiswal followed in the adjacent net. They faced deliveries from Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin. Afterward, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Sarfaraz Khan took turns batting. Sarfaraz joined the Indian team’s practice for the first time after playing in the Duleep Trophy. Rohit focused heavily on playing spin during the session.
Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj also participated in batting practice. They batted against local bowlers and took some throwdowns as well. Throughout the session, they were seen practicing against bouncy deliveries.
Although the pitch in Chennai is expected to offer some bounce, the likelihood of India playing three pacers is slim. If that’s the case, Bumrah and Siraj could be the two fast bowlers, while Ashwin, Jadeja, and Kuldeep might form the spin trio. Axar Patel may have to sit out. There’s still uncertainty about whether Sarfaraz or KL Rahul will be included in the batting lineup. However, Rishabh Pant’s return in place of Dhruv Jurel seems certain.
