India Vs Bangladesh 2024: Pacer Shoriful Islam ruled out, Batter Jaker Ali added to Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side for Test series

The visiting Bangladesh team were forced to make one change to the side which won the historic Test match series against Pakistan last month – replacing injured pacer Shoriful Islam with an additional batter Jaker Ali to face India in the two-match Test series beginning on September 19. Shoriful had suffered a groin injury in the first Test vs Pakistan, which Bangladesh won by 10 wickets and didn’t play in the second Test.

Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed make up Bangladesh’s pace attack in Shoriful’s absence against. Taskin will be available only for the second Test, informed Bangladesh national selection panel chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain.

“We have selected five pacers mindful of the fact that Taskin Ahmed will only play the second Test. He hasn’t bowled in a Test since June last year and we have decided to include him in the ‘A’ Team for the second four-dayer against Pakistan ‘A’ to get him into the rhythm for longer version matches.  Also, a couple of the pacers may join the A Team for the one-day matches and therefore we needed backups. Our attack has variety with bowlers who can bowl fast and also swing the ball and I am really looking forward to seeing them perform against world class batsmen,” a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) statement read.

The selection panel chairman added that the focus was on selecting the best players for Test cricket. “The emphasis was on picking our best players for this version. This is a well balanced squad. The likes of Mushfiqur (Rahim), Mominul (Haque) and Shakib (Al Hasan) have played 216 matches combined and there is no substitute for that kind of experience. Taijul (Islam) and Miraz (Mehidy Hasan) have been leading the spin department for a long time and have over 350 wickets between them. We also expect Shanto (Najmul Hossain), Litton (Kumer Das) and the other batsmen to step up because to be competitive against Pakistan, we will need a team effort,” Hossain added.

Yet to play a Test and ODI, Jaker Ali has represented Bangladesh in 17 T20Is since making his debut at the Asian Games in 2023. He has played 49 first-class games, and averages 41.47 with four centuries.

Opening batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who missed the Pakistan Tests due to a groin niggle suffered during the four-day games between Pakistan A and Bangladesh A in the lead-up to the Test series, retains his place in the squad. However, Shadman Islam’s impressive showing in the first Test in Rawalpindi could see him keep his spot at the top alongside Zakir Hasan.

The first Test against India starts on September 19 at M. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with the second one from September 27 onwards in Kanpur.

 

Bangladesh Test series-winning team against Pakistan departed to meet Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus.#BCB #Cricket #BDCricket #Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/5Luma5cpKi

— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) September 12, 2024

Bangladesh squad for India Tests

Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), 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