IND vs BAN, 2024-25: Bangladesh announced squad for the Test series against India. Let’s deep dive into the detailed Bangladesh squad analysis.
Following Bangladesh’s historic Test series sweep against Pakistan, the Tigers are poised to take on India in a two-match Test series starting September 19. It took immense character, unbelievable resilience, and persistence to roll over Pakistan in their backyard. Fresh from their series win against Pakistan, the Tigers will be up against the Blues, who have a near-invincible track record at home.
But Bangladesh would know that if they can get somewhere close to replicating what they did in Pakistan, they would be able to crawl much further in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. Bangladesh have a potent spin bowling attack. With Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the ranks, they can pose all the tough questions to the India batters on predominantly spin-friendly tracks.
During the buildup to the much-anticipated Test series, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 16-member squad on Thursday, with Najmul Hossain Shanto expected to lead the side. As a gruelling test awaits the visitors in alien conditions, here is a quick order-wise rundown of the recently named Bangladesh Test squad ahead of the series.
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Bangladesh tour of India Squad Analysis
Bangladesh Top Order
Bangladesh went in with the opening combination of Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan in the recently concluded Pakistan series. The two left-handers provided a fair degree of stability at the top of the order. Still relatively young in their Test careers, the pair made some noteworthy contributions against a formidable Pakistan pace attack. Shadman’s 94 gave Bangladesh the platform to breach Pakistan’s imposing first-innings total of 448-6.
Zakir did not have much of an impact in the first game but went on to register a counter-attacking cameo of 40 (39) in the second Test, which featured 3 fours and 2 sixes. His rapid explosion at the top came under hostile seam-friendly conditions, allowing Bangladesh to wipe out the deficit and then chase down a tricky target of 185 in quick time.
The skipper Shanto looked a touch off-colour and fell short of runs in that series. Averaging just a shade under 30 with 5 Test centuries to his name, Shanto still has a fair bit of catching up to do in the longest format. The Bangladesh skipper could only manage 16 in the first Test and was cleaned up cheaply by an absolute peach by Khurram Shahzad on 4.
But he did regain some of his lost form in the second innings of the second Test, where he put on a well-constructed score of 38 (82) but failed to stick around till the end. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old was lauded for his impactful captaincy and was spot on when it all came down to making the right calls.
Averaging nearly 40 in Test cricket, Monimnul Haque can play the long innings. His rock-solid composure at the crease may act as a thorn in India’s side. But the crafty left-hander hasn’t looked entirely fluent in the Pakistan Test series, which concluded earlier this month.
Unlike his tall Test numbers, Mominul managed to make small yet impactful contributions of 50 (76) in the first match and 34 (71) in the second match while chasing. Bangladesh would be hoping to see the 32-year-old live up to his expectations and churn out some hefty runs in the upcoming India series.
Read More: Bangladesh owe historic Test series win against Pakistan to Litton Das’s heroic 138
Bangladesh Middle Order
Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Litton Kumar Das formed the potent middle order that played a key role in sinking Pakistan in the two-match Test series.
Shakib and Mehidy were menacing with the ball; their figures speak for themselves. Mehidy finished as the highest wicket-taker in that series with 10 wickets to his name while averaging 18.6. Besides, his gutsy contribution with the bat did not go unnoticed either. Mehidy has a reputation for rescuing Bangladesh from very vulnerable situations, be it in the red-ball or white-ball format.
After being reduced to 26-6 in the second Test, Bangladesh were staring down the barrel, and notions of an imminent defeat were on the cards. But that is when Mehidy, along with Litton, took stock of the situation and dragged Bangladesh out of the hole by smashing a resilient 155-run stand in which Mehidy scored 78 (124). That record-breaking stand propelled the Tigers back into the game from the jaws of defeat, and Pakistan eventually failed to build up on the paltry lead of just 12 runs.
Shakib had some success with the ball too in that series, finishing with 5 wickets and bagging the best figures of 3-44. He along with Mehidy played a key role in obliterating the Pakistani middle order on the final day of the first Test match. The duo registered 7 scalps to bundle Pakistan out for just 146, thus quashing any possibilities of a draw.
However, with the bat, Shakib has been short of runs in the longest format for quite some time, and his team would be hoping that he could regain his destructive form with the bat. The gifted all-rounder has failed to cross the 50-run mark in his last five Test innings and could only manage an average of just 19 in the Test series.
Litton Das was in sizzling form in the Pakistan Test series. He batted fearlessly and aggressively, ending up as the third-highest run-getter in that series while averaging a whopping 97. The way he went about counter-attacking Naseem Shah against the second new ball changed the complexion of the innings and, of course, the match. That massive over produced over 15 runs, which negatively dented Pakistan’s psyche, and by the time their bowlers overcame his onslaught, the damage was already done.
His blazing cameo of 56 (78) allowed Bangladesh to accelerate through the middle overs, which eventually helped them surpass Pakistan’s 448. He then followed it up with a swashbuckling century in the next Test. When chips were down at 26-6, Das played a courageous innings and smashed an unbelievable century (138 off 228) for which he was adjudged the Player of the Match. Das and Mehidy batted under immense pressure to tackle the Pakistan bowlers relentlessly to get Bangladesh out of the woods.
The veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim displayed an immense sense of maturity in that series. He was in a league of his own and produced some match-winning knocks in both Tests to get his side over the finishing line. Rahim ended up as the highest run scorer for Bangladesh in that series, accumulating a whopping 216 runs at a ridiculously high average of 108.
The former wicketkeeper batter hit a brilliant 191 on the fourth day of the first Test, which also turned out to be the highest score by any Bangladesh batter against Pakistan in Test cricket. On the back of his record-breaking ton, Bangladesh were able to achieve their highest test score of 565 against Pakistan. Thereafter, he played a key role along with Shakib to remain unbeaten on 22*, helping Bangladesh chase down 185 in the second Test.
Bangladesh’s middle order is rich in skill and experience, and the visitors would need every bit of it to counter India’s all-out bowling attack that is armed to the teeth.
Furthermore, Jakir Ali gets his maiden Test call-up for Bangladesh and will come in place of Shoriful Islam. The 26-year-old uncapped player is predominantly a middle-order wicketkeeper batter who represented Bangladesh in 17 T20Is since making his debut at the Asian Games in 2023. Moreover, he has formidable experience playing in the longest format, with 49 first-class appearances and four centuries under him while averaging 41.47.
Read More: Bangladesh register historic maiden Test victory against Pakistan: Architects of the win
Bangladesh Lower Order
If there was one department that exceeded all expectations, it was their lower order, primarily comprising pacers. Their pacers bossed the hosts on their turf and earned a reputation for delivering vital breakthroughs in crunch situations. Bangladesh went in with four pacers for the Pakistan Test series. The likes of Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, and Taskin Ahmed toiled hard in the Pindi heat and troubled the Pakistan batters by bowling some destructive spells.
Hasan Mahmud had notable success with the ball and emerged as the most prolific pace bowler of Bangladesh from that series, finishing with 8 wickets and a magnificent five-fer of 5-43. He did not have much going his way in the first Test and toiled hard on an unforgiving Pindi pitch to manufacture 3 wickets while maintaining an exceptional economy rate of 2.4. However, he saved his best for the last and bagged his maiden Test five-fer of 5-43 to decimate Pakistan for 172 in the second innings.
Nahid Rana was the quickest of the lot and regularly clocked close to 150 kmph throughout the series. The tall bashing seamer is something Bangladesh were lacking in their pace arsenal for several decades. But with the inclusion of Nahid, the gap has now been filled. He troubled some of the highly accomplished Pakistan batters in that series with his sheer pace and bounce. Both Mahmud and Nahid together accounted for 9 dismissals in the second final Test as Pakistan crumbled for 172. Their hostile piece of bowling proved to be a decisive moment in the Test match as Pakistan could only manage to post a target of 185, which was effectively chased down.
Taskin Ahmed was introduced in the second Test match at Rawalpindi, following the injury of Shoriful. Taskin is an experienced campaigner for Bangladesh with the ball in hand and can be very lethal when the ball is new. As soon as he was introduced, the tall quick straight away left an impact by picking up 3-57, which included prized wickets of Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, and Salman Ali Agha. He subsequently went on to pick up another wicket in the second innings, which included the dismissal of Saim Ayub on 20.
It is worth mentioning that Bangladesh have only made one solitary change to their squad that triumphed in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, earlier this month. Their ace speedster, Shoriful Islam, is sidelined from the entire series due to a groin injury. Shoriful was a key asset for the Tigers in the Pakistan Test series as his left-arm seam option added a dynamic dimension to their pace battery. Although Shoriful could manage just 3 wickets before missing out on the second Test, the left-hand right-hand pace combination allowed Bangladesh to keep a tight hold on the home side.
This hostile outlook of the Bangladesh seam attack is something we are generally not used to seeing in international cricket, and to have such a defining impact in the longest format shows how far their pace department has progressed. The former Bangladesh pace bowling coach, Alan Donald, left his long-lasting legacy on these young quicks, who are now making a lot of heads turn. The former South Africa speedster worked closely with them during the ODI World Cup last year, and the national side is reaping the rewards of it now. These young quicks have a long way to go in their international careers, and a difficult challenge awaits them as they prepare to take on India in the two-match series.
Bangladesh Squad for India Tests: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Taijul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Nayeem Hasan, Khaled Ahmed
Both teams have a lot at stake in this series. India are currently towering the World Test Championship (2023-25) table and would be looking to maintain their dominance at the top. At the same time, the Tigers have leapfrogged to the fourth position following their memorable 2-0 clean sweep against Pakistan. The visitors have so far been winless against India in the longest format. But on the back of an impressive series win in Pakistan, the Tigers can’t be taken all that lightly anymore.
Read More: Young Bangladesh pacers Mahmud & Rana’s combined 9-87 pushed Pakistan into oblivion
