Bangladesh chose to field in first Test against India
Speaking at the toss, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto stated that he wanted to "take advantage of the moisture" on the pitch, with India captain Rohit Sharma also admitting that he would have opted to bowl first in the overcast conditions.
Bangladesh have won the toss and elected to bowl first in the opening Test of the two-match series against hosts India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today.
Speaking at the toss, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto stated that he wanted to "take advantage of the moisture" on the pitch, with India captain Rohit Sharma also admitting that he would have opted to bowl first in the overcast conditions.
As they did against Pakistan, Bangladesh have fielded three pacers—Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed, and Hasan Mahmud—alongside two all-rounders, Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, in their line-up for today's match.
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Fresh off a historic Test series victory against Pakistan, the Tigers are well aware of the greater challenge they face against India, but buoyed by recent form, they will be hopeful of making more history in the longest format.
In the past 17 months, Bangladesh have won five of their eight Tests, including a home victory over New Zealand and two away wins against Pakistan, placing them fourth in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
However, India remain one of the two sides Bangladesh are yet to defeat in Test cricket, the other being South Africa. In 13 previous encounters against India, Bangladesh have lost 11, with the remaining two matches ending in draws due to rain interruptions.
India's home record is formidable. The last time they lost a Test series on home soil was in 2012, when they were beaten 2-1 by England in a four-match series. Since then, India have won 17 consecutive home Test series, losing only four of the 51 Tests played at home during this period.
PLAYING XIs:
Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.
