Ahead of the first Test match against Bangladesh, Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir said his side “don’t fear anyone” but have “respect for everyone.” The two-match Test series between India and Bangladesh will kick off on September 19 at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. Currently, Team India lead the WTC standings with a point percentage of 68.52. Their upcoming WTC series includes Bangladesh (two Tests, home), New Zealand (three Tests, home), and Australia (five Tests, away). Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gambhir congratulated Bangladesh on their two-match Test series win against Pakistan. He praised Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side, calling them a quality team.
“I have always believed that we don’t fear anyone, but we respect everyone. It’s the same with Bangladesh. We don’t focus on the opposition; we play the game we know. I congratulate them on what they did in Pakistan. But this is a new series, and they are a quality side, so we want to play good cricket. Yes, they have experience in Shakib, Mushfiqur, and Mehidy, but we want to be switched on from the first ball,” Gambhir said.
Bangladesh are in top form, having whitewashed Pakistan 2-0 to win their first Test series on Pakistani soil. The Bengal Tigers claimed a massive 10-wicket victory in the first Test and followed it up with a six-wicket win in the second.
When asked about the potential inclusion of Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan in the playing eleven, Gambhir said there will be opportunities, but players must wait for their turn.
“We don’t drop anyone. We just pick the players who fit the eleven. We believe in selecting the XI. Jurel is a phenomenal player, but when Pant is coming in, sometimes people have to wait. Same with Sarfaraz. Opportunities will come, but you have to wait,” he added.
The second Test between India and Bangladesh will take place in Kanpur from September 27.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Jaker Ali Anik.
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