India’s Test series against Bangladesh starts on September 19 in Chennai. The Indian squad includes returning players Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli, while Bangladesh arrives with confidence from a recent series win over Pakistan.

India captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir.(AFP)

BCCI announced Team India’s squad for the first Test of the IDFC FIRST Bank Test series against Bangladesh starting on September 19. Rishabh Pant on Sunday returned to the Test side after nearly 20 months as India announced their 16-man squad for the opening match of the two Test series against Bangladesh.

As the Indian cricket team gears up for their upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, several notable developments have emerged. Virat Kohli makes a return to the Test squad after missing the five-Test series against England at home earlier this year. Kohli’s comeback is highly anticipated, marking a significant boost for the team.

Rishabh Pant, who was involved in a severe road accident on December 30, 2022, has also returned to top-flight cricket. Pant had played in the second and final Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur from December 22-25, 2022, but his road accident sidelined him until the IPL season of this year. He rejoined the national side during the T20 World Cup, contributing to India’s title-winning campaign.

However, the selection news has not been uniformly positive. Mohammed Shami, despite initial expectations set by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, will not feature in the Test squad. Shami had been targeting a return for the first Test against Bangladesh but failed to secure a spot. On a more encouraging note, left-arm seamer Yash Dayal has received his maiden call-up to the Indian Test team for the opening match of the series.

The Test series kicks off with the first of two Tests against Bangladesh in Chennai, starting September 19. The second Test will be held at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1. India and Bangladesh have faced each other in 13 Tests to date, with India emerging victorious in 11 matches and two ending in draws.

Bangladesh enters the series with renewed confidence after a historic 2-0 series win over Pakistan on their home turf. In contrast, India’s last Test assignment was a convincing 4-1 series win over England at home earlier this year. The upcoming matches are expected to be a crucial test of form and strategy for both teams as they look to capitalize on their recent successes.

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