Cricket

The Indian cricket team is preparing for the upcoming Bangladesh series with a focus on match simulations. One of the key areas of focus is replicating the bowling style of Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana, who has impressed with his bounce and pace.To achieve this, the team has called up Punjab's Gurnoor Brar, a tall pacer with a similar bowling action to Rana. Brar's height and skiddy pace will provide the Indian batters with a realistic simulation of Rana's bowling.In addition to Brar, the team has also drafted in Mumbai off-spinner Himanshu Singh, whose action is similar to Ravichandran Ashwin, and Tamil Nadu slow left-arm bowler S Ajit Ram. These bowlers will provide the batters with a variety of challenges to prepare them for the different conditions they may face in Bangladesh.The Indian team's new bowling coach, Morne Morkel, has been actively involved in the net sessions, providing guidance to the bowlers on how to bowl to star batters. The team is also focusing on specific net sessions to simulate the conditions they expect to encounter in Bangladesh.While India has potent new ball bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the team is unlikely to play on rank turners. The Chepauk strip is expected to provide equal assistance to both pace bowlers and spinners. The bounce could be more even, making Rana a potential threat.The Bangladesh team is scheduled to arrive in Chennai on Sunday. Security arrangements have been tightened for the visitors following the recent civil unrest in the country. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has assured the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of necessary security measures.

India's Test resurgence begins against Bangladesh, with Morne Morkel at the helmIndia's Test team returns to action after a six-month hiatus, facing Bangladesh in a two-match series starting September 19. The series marks the debut of former South African pacer Morne Morkel as India's new bowling coach.Under the guidance of head coach Gautam Gambhir and Morkel, India's batters, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, experimented with different nets during their first practice session. The black soil pitch was allocated to spinners, while the pacers took the red soil pitch.The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is known for its spin-friendly conditions, prompting India to explore their options. The bowling lineup includes Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel as spin options, while Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Yash Dayal provide pace.India has also enlisted a group of promising net bowlers, including spinners S Ajith Ram, M Siddharth, and P Vignesh, and pacers Arpit Guleria, Gurnoon Brar, Yudhvir Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Simarjeet Singh, and Gurjapneet Singh.Bangladesh enters the series on a high after their 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan. The series carries significant importance in the World Test Championship (WTC), with India currently leading the table and Bangladesh rising to fourth spot.India faces a grueling 10-match Test season, including a three-Test series against New Zealand and the five-match Border-Gavaskar series in Australia later this year. The Bangladesh series will provide a crucial test for Rohit Sharma's side as they prepare for these challenges.

Indian cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's wife, Prithi Narayanan, expressed her excitement ahead of the team's home season opener against Bangladesh. The first Test match will be held at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai starting September 19.In anticipation of the match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organized a pre-series camp for the cricketers at the same venue. Prithi took to Instagram to share a picture of Ashwin in India's training jersey, captioning it, "Chennai, Test match feelings are coming. Right?"The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team has commenced its preparations for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh. This will be India's first Test series under head coach Rahul Dravid and his new support staff, which includes former South Africa fast-bowler Morne Morkel as the new bowling coach.The BCCI shared pictures of the team huddle on its social media account, writing, "The countdown starts as #TeamIndia begin their preps for an exciting home season."Captain Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli, and other team members, including Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, and KL Rahul, arrived in Chennai on Thursday night.The Bangladesh team, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, is scheduled to arrive in Chennai on September 15, four days before the first Test. After the Chennai Test concludes on September 23, the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur will host the second Test from September 27 to October 1.Both Test matches are part of the ongoing 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle, where India currently leads the table with 68.52 percentage points, while Bangladesh is in fourth place with 45.83 percentage points.

Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has expressed skepticism about Bangladesh's ability to challenge India in the upcoming Test series, despite Bangladesh's recent success in Pakistan. Speaking on India's prospects on Cricbuzz, Karthik emphasized that winning against India on home soil is a significant challenge."I personally don't think so. I think beating India in India is a humongous task. Bangladesh has played well in Pakistan. But no, I don't think there will be much trouble for India to beat Bangladesh," Karthik remarked.Discussing India's squad selection, Karthik highlighted the possibility of including young pacer Harshit Rana. However, he noted that the team already has four established medium pacers."Could there be a chance for Harshit Rana? I thought he bowled very well, something very special about him. They already have four medium pacers, who are good medium pacers. So, it's a good team," Karthik said.Karthik also suggested that India might prepare pace-friendly pitches for the series, which would help against Bangladesh and serve as preparation for the upcoming series against Australia."I get the feeling India's going to play on slightly pace-oriented pitches, knowing that it's a good way to beat Bangladesh. Also, they will be preparing for the Australian Test series. I think they will only play with two spinners—Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja—followed by three fast bowlers," he explained.Regarding KL Rahul's role in the team, Karthik praised his improvement as a wicketkeeper but voiced concerns about the physical demands of keeping in Test matches."KL Rahul is a very good keeper, who has improved a lot. And I don't think it's fair to call him a part-time wicketkeeper anymore," Karthik stated. He added, "Keeping in Test cricket is hard work across five days, and he's had his struggles with injuries. He has a back he needs to take care of in the long run. So, I don't think it's fair to entrust him with the keeping spot. But I genuinely feel he will make it as a batter and do really well this season."With the series against Bangladesh approaching, Team India appears well-prepared with strong batting and bowling units.

India's Test squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh has been announced, featuring the return of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and the maiden call-up for young pacer Yash Dayal.Pant, who suffered a horrific car accident in December 2022, will make his Test comeback in the series opener in Chennai on September 19. His inclusion is a significant boost for India, as he is one of the team's most explosive and dynamic players.Another notable addition to the squad is 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel, who impressed on his Test debut against England in January. Jurel scored 190 runs in three matches, including a knock of 90, and has been rewarded with a place in the squad for the Bangladesh series.With Pant and KL Rahul also in the squad, Jurel will be the third wicketkeeper option for India. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta believes that India could potentially field all three wicketkeepers in their XI."Your XI, Yashasvi and Rohit to open. Shubman at No. 3, Virat Kohli at No. 4. KL Rahul at No. 5. Rishabh Pant at No. 6. Then maybe you can play another batter. 8 and 9 you have Jadeja and Ashwin. And then No. 10 and No. 11, you have two seamers," Dasgupta told India Today."You can think of someone like Sarfaraz for the middle-order. Even for that matter... Dhruv Jurel batted beautifully. Yeah, I won't be surprised if Rishabh, Dhruv and KL all three of them play. The other thing you have to keep in mind is the Australia series. You can also look at other options, but the way Dhruv batted, his technique and composure, I think he is more adept to batting in Australia than some of the other newcomers," he added.India will be looking to start their Test series against Bangladesh on a positive note, as they prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in November.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the second Test match between India and Bangladesh will proceed as scheduled in Kanpur on September 27, despite threats of protests.The decision comes after concerns arose following threats issued by the Hindu Mahasabha regarding alleged violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. However, a BCCI source has stated that they are not considering alternative venues and the match will take place as planned."We are monitoring the situation with the concerned authorities, but we have done everything to hold that match," the source told India Today. "The stadium is ready to welcome our and visitors' teams. It's not going anywhere. It will be in Kanpur, but we will keep monitoring the situation."Meanwhile, Bangladesh batter Litton Das has revealed that the team is adjusting to the SG balls ahead of the series. Bangladesh typically uses Kookaburra balls in home internationals, but India uses SG balls, which have a more prominent seam."The ball will be a different one in India," Das said. "It is a little harder to play against the SG ball. The Kookaburra ball is easier to play when it gets old. It is the opposite with the SG ball. It is harder to get away against the old ball when it's the SG."India's squad for the first Test against Bangladesh includes Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.

Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian cricket team, faces a daunting task as the team embarks on a grueling Test season. The season kicks off with a match against Bangladesh on September 19, followed by a series of back-to-back matches against New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia.Gambhir, who took charge after a brief tour of Sri Lanka last month, has a proven track record of success as a player and coach. He led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two Indian Premier League (IPL) titles and has a reputation for being a demanding and results-oriented coach.Ahead of the upcoming series, Gambhir participated in a fun interaction on the sidelines of the Delhi Premier League T20. He was asked to name cricketers based on one word, providing insights into his perceptions of some of the game's greatest players.Gambhir described Yuvraj Singh as "Badshah" (King), himself as "Angry Young Man," Sachin Tendulkar as "Dabang" (Fearless), Virat Kohli as "Shahenshah" (Emperor), Jasprit Bumrah as "Khiladi" (Player), Rahul Dravid as "Mr. Perfectionist," and Sourav Ganguly as "Tiger."South African cricket legend Jonty Rhodes, who is the fielding coach of the Lucknow Super Giants, expressed confidence in Gambhir's ability to make an immediate impact on the Indian team. He praised Gambhir's hands-on approach and his ability to speak his mind.Rhodes also lauded the appointment of Zaheer Khan as mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants, highlighting his calm head and technical expertise. He believes that Zaheer's presence will help the team navigate tense situations during matches.With a challenging Test season ahead, Gambhir will be eager to prove his mettle as head coach. His ability to motivate and inspire the team, as well as his tactical acumen, will be put to the test as India faces some of the world's top cricketing nations.

India's star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will not serve as vice-captain in the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh, despite holding the position during the Test series against England earlier this year. This decision suggests a shift in the BCCI's and team management's approach to leadership roles.Bumrah remains a key leader within the team, alongside KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Virat Kohli. However, the absence of a designated vice-captain for the Bangladesh series indicates that the BCCI may not envision Bumrah as a future captain. This could be due to the need to carefully manage his workload, as Bumrah has a history of injuries.Bumrah has previously captained India in the rescheduled 2022 Test against England and the 2023 match against Ireland, where his leadership was praised. However, a captain's consistent availability is crucial, and Bumrah's injury history might hinder that.With Gautam Gambhir now at the helm as head coach, India's approach to vice-captaincy has shifted. Hardik Pandya was replaced by Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is, and Shubman Gill has taken over the vice-captaincy duties in both ODIs and T20Is. This raises speculation about Gill's potential role in Test cricket.The first Test between India and Bangladesh is set to begin on September 19 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, followed by the second Test at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) is facing a crucial decision regarding the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, scheduled to commence on October 21. The decision hinges on security assessments currently underway, following concerns raised after anti-government protests in Bangladesh earlier this year.CSA, in collaboration with the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), will make a final call by the end of this week. The Women's T20 World Cup 2024, initially slated for Bangladesh, was relocated due to the unrest.Sources within CSA indicate that the situation in Bangladesh has improved, but the organization emphasizes that player safety remains paramount. A collective decision will be made, with individual players unlikely to have the final say on whether to tour.South Africa's Test schedule has been condensed to two-match series in this World Test Championship cycle, prioritizing the launch of the SA20 domestic T20 league and cost-cutting measures. The team has played six Tests so far, winning two, losing three, and drawing one.To qualify for the WTC final at Lord's next year, South Africa needs to win at least five of their remaining six matches. If they tour Bangladesh, they are unlikely to field Marco Jansen or Gerald Coetzee, who are expected to return to action in November.South Africa's next assignment is a white-ball series against Afghanistan and Ireland in the UAE, where several new faces are expected to feature.