IND vs BAN: One-off match but one for the record

When Virat Kohli and Mushfiqur Rahim walk out for toss here on Thursday to mark the historic occasion of Bangladesh playing their first Test on Indian soil, 17 years and 97 Tests after being baptised in the longer format, 50 days would have passed since the hosts played a five-day game.

The near two-month gap saw Kohli and Co. carry the winning momentum from Tests to the ODIs and T20Is against England, making the hosts seemingly  invincible on home soil.

It is this invincibility factor that India will look to carry on in the remaining five games of the long home season of 13 Tests over the next seven weeks, taking this one-off Test as a preparation for the four-match series against Australia while also asserting their No. 1 status.

India do not have to show to their neighbours, who the big brother is. Bangladesh are wary of India’s success. Yet, they would want to go out and show the world that they are not here to merely make up the numbers.

Bangladesh showed glimpses of their might against Alastair Cook’s Englishmen winning a Test and squaring the home series 1-1 not long ago. Their moment of glory turned into despair when they lost the series in New Zealand.

While indulging in the limited-overs series, Virat Kohli and Co have been observing Bangladesh’s performances closely. Yet, they have left no stone unturned when it comes to preparation. Their side has just got stronger with the return of Ajinkya Rahane at No. 5 while also communicating to Karun Nair, who replaced the injured Mumbaikar and scored 303 not out in the last Test, that he has to make way.

Given their form, India would be expected to have it easy against Bangladesh. One might imagine the in-form batsmen, right from openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay to Cheteshwar Pujara, who has scored 159 and 204 in the two Test innings, and through to Kohli, who is 36 short of a 1,000 runs in this season, to amass runs on the pitch that has held good for long duration matches.

If at all anything is a matter of concern, it is the form of Rahane, who struggled against England before breaking his finger and missing two Tests. But, his performances over the last couple of years in all conditions cannot be ignored and that is the reason he walks into the side by right when fit.

If the top-order were to fail, India’s lower middle-order have contributed immensely with the bat that Kohli would contemplate batting only once and unleash his spinners on the Bangladesh’s inexperienced line-up.

While the young Bangladesh attack will find it difficult to dislodge the Indian batsmen, their batsmen will have to be at their best against the home bowlers. Ravichandran Ashwin, though he may have gone for runs aplenty in the ODIs against England, has been only getting more ferocious in Tests. 

As a strike bowler with 55 wickets in the last two series, Ashwin has also taken three of the four five-wicket hauls that this venue has witnessed. If Ashwin does not, then his spin partner Ravindra Jadeja will strike with his variations and also adjusting the pace of the ball, a feature that won many hearts during the Chennai Test win in December. Not to forget the young Jayant Yadav, who made his debut against England but has been performing as he has been there for ages and also won the confidence of Kohli and chief coach Anil Kumble.

Even on pitches that spinners dominated, India medium-pacers have done exceedingly well. They may not have the wickets to show but have often paved the way for the winners to strike repeatedly.

With all things going in India’s favour, Bangladesh will pray that they do not surrender meekly and make this historic occasion for them a forgettable one.