India has announced its squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, with K. L. Rahul and Rishabh Pant making a comeback and left-arm pacer Yash Dayal earning his first-ever Test call-up. The series will start from September 19, with the first Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Bangladesh enters the series with high confidence after a historic 2-0 clean sweep of Pakistan on its home soil — its first-ever against the rival.
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This series marks Pant’s return to Test cricket for the first time since December 2022, when India last played in Bangladesh. The wicketkeeper-batter was sidelined after suffering a severe car accident shortly after the tour. Pant has made his comeback in domestic red-ball cricket, scoring a half-century for India B in the ongoing Duleep Trophy.
Rahul, too, returns from injury after being sidelined following the first Test against England this year in Hyderabad. He showed good form in his Duleep Trophy appearance, contributing a half-century. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel, who filled in as wicketkeeper during the England series in the absence of Pant and Rahul, retains his spot in the squad.
On the bowling front, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from Achilles heel surgery earlier this year. Akash Deep, who impressed on his Test debut against England in Ranchi, has been selected again after a nine-wicket match haul for India A in the Duleep Trophy.
Dayal, who caught the selectors’ attention with a successful IPL 2024 campaign where he claimed 15 wickets, has raised his stakes further following an impressive showing in the Duleep Trophy, taking four wickets in the opening match.
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