India will face Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, which is set to start on September 19 in Chennai. Ahead of the series opener at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, former India batter Wasim Jaffer has issued a warning to the Rohit Sharma-led side. According to the former opener, the hosts should not take Bangladesh lightly, as they have shown great improvement in recent times.
Jaffer feels that Bangladesh have changed their mindset, which has led them to put up a neck-and-neck battle against top teams.
Bangladesh is coming into the series against India after getting the better of Pakistan in the two-match Test series played last month. For the first time in history, Bangladesh defeated Pakistan in a Test, and in fact, Najmul Hossain Shanto & Co. went on to win both matches.
“They have become better with experience. They were known to play well in Bangladesh, but lately, they have also toured well. They have beaten New Zealand in New Zealand (2023 at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui) and Pakistan in Pakistan. In limited-overs cricket, they have done well in patches away from home. They have quite a few seniors to guide them,” Jaffer was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
The former cricketer-turned-commentator also made a special mention of the duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, who “have been with the team for so long” and have helped the youngsters with their experience.
The all-time leading run scorer in the Ranji Trophy feels that unlike the past Bangladeshi teams, which used to heavily depend on spinners, this new team has some talented fast bowlers as well.
“They (Bangladesh) want to play on bouncy pitches with a bit of a pace even at home. The series they won against Afghanistan was played on fast and bouncy pitches where Ebadot Hossain and Taskin Ahmed starred in the victory. And from there, I feel there has been a slight shift in mindset that they are not going to win only with spin,” Jaffer explained.
Jaffer also hailed Bangladesh’s former bowling coaches Allan Donald and Courtney Walsh for giving a lot of attention to the pace unit. The spinners, however, are expected to dominate the first Test between India and Bangladesh, considering the conditions at Chepauk.
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