India vs Bangladesh 1st Test All you need to know: Chennai pitch, weather and team news

India vs Bangladesh 1st Test: India will kick off a long Test season as overwhelming favorites against Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai, despite facing an improved and confident opposition. Bangladesh, buoyed by their recent 2–0 series win against Pakistan, is expected to provide a tougher challenge than usual for the hosts.

In Short

• India to kick off Test season with two-match series against Bangladesh
• A red-soil pitch is being prepared in Chennai for the first Test
• Bangladesh look to break their winless streak against India in Tests

India will kick off their long-awaited home season later this week with a Test series against Bangladesh, set to begin on Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This marks India's first Test appearance in six months, their last outing in whites having taken place at the scenic HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala in March under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.

India’s impressive 40-4 home record over the last decade remains a formidable statistic, though cracks have started to appear in recent years, especially in the form of star batter Virat Kohli. Bangladesh, who have yet to secure a Test win against India, will aim to break their drought, having lost 11 of the 13 Tests between the two sides, with two draws.

India are aiming to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final and welcomes back key players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant. However, their return presents a selection challenge for the team management. Bangladesh will rely on in-form players Nahid Rana and Mehidy Hasan Raza to continue their momentum from the Pakistan series.

Bangladesh will rely on in-form players Nahid Rana and Mehidy Hasan Raza to continue their success from the Pakistan series, while India welcome back key players Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant. Their return presents a selection challenge for India’s management ahead of the first Test. New head coach Gautam Gambhir will also be eager to start his Test tenure on a winning note after a mixed 1-1 result in the recent white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.

INDIA vs BANGLADESH: H2H

The upcoming series marks Bangladesh's first Test assignment in India since 2019, which featured India’s first-ever pink-ball Test in Kolkata. The last Test encounter between the two teams was in 2022 when India secured a 1–0 series win in Bangladesh. Notably, Bangladesh made their Test debut against India in November 2000 at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka but have yet to claim a victory against India in the red-ball format.

Despite never having won a Test against India, Bangladesh will be aiming to break their drought, having lost 11 of the 13 Tests between the two teams, with two draws. India, focused on securing a spot in the World Test Championship final, will look to maintain their dominance.

CHENNAI WEATHER FOR 1ST TEST

The weather in Chennai for the first Test is expected to be mostly clear. Temperatures will reach 35°C during the day and 28°C at night on the opening day of the first Test, with a 23% chance of rain and winds at 10-15 km/h. Humidity will stay below 77%. September 21 is forecasted to be mostly cloudy with warm temperatures around 36°C and a 25% chance of rain. Conditions should improve as the match progresses, with clear skies expected on September 22, along with warm temperatures of 34°C and only a 13% chance of rain. The final day, September 23, will also be clear, with temperatures dropping to 33°C and a 21% chance of rain.

LIVE STREAMING DETAILS

Where can you watch the live telecast of India vs Bangladesh first Test?
The live telecast will be available on Sports18 and Colors Cineplex channels.

How can you watch the live stream of the India vs Bangladesh first Test?
The match will be streamed live on JioCinema, with updates available on Sportstar’s website and app.

CHENNAI PITCH TO AID SPINNERS?

A red-soil pitch is being prepared in Chennai for the first Test between India and Bangladesh, starting Thursday. Though there’s a light covering of grass, further work is expected before the match begins. Both teams trained on a black-soil surface on Tuesday after two days on a red-soil pitch. The red-soil pitch is expected to benefit pacers, while the black-soil pitch favors spinners.

India's team selection will hinge on whether to include a third spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, or a third pacer, Akash Deep or Yash Dayal. Traditionally, Chennai has produced firm red-soil pitches, but in 2021, a departure from this practice saw a black-soil pitch that crumbled easily, allowing spinners to dominate.

During that match, India leveled the series against England thanks to strong performances from local star Ravichandran Ashwin and a century from Rohit Sharma. Seventeen of the 20 English wickets fell to spin in that game. History suggests that the captain winning the toss should choose to bat first, as cracks on the pitch tend to make batting challenging for the chasing team on the fifth day. This time, a more balanced contest is expected, with bounce and carry early on for the pacers, and spinners likely to come into play after the third day.

INDIA vs BANGLADESH: TEAM NEWS

India's playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting September 19 in Chennai, hinges on a key decision: three fast bowlers or three spinners? Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir must decide. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, R Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja are certain starters in a five-bowler setup. The contenders for the final spot include Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, and left-arm seamer Yash Dayal.

Historically, India has leaned on two seamers and three spinners in the home series, but with a WTC final berth at stake, the decision will be crucial.

FULL SQUAD

India (1st Test): Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (Wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Md. Siraj, Akash Deep, Yash Dayal

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (Wicket-keeper), Litton Kumer Das (wk), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Jaker Ali Anik