Bangladesh vs India first Test: Preview & Prediction

India lost the ODI series 2-1 and will try to bounce back in the Test series.

India will have to do without Rohit Sharma, Mohammad Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja for the first Test, but the KL Rahul-led side is not short of batting power.

The good news for the team is that Rishabh Pant has joined the squad.

With an unblemished record of nine wins against Bangladesh, India will try to start well in the first Test at Chattogram.

Ravi Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara return to the most extended format and will bring some solid experience.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> &#39;s vice captain <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CheteshwarPujara?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CheteshwarPujara</a> in the headshot photoshoot ahead of test series against Bangladesh. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pujara?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pujara</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsBAN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/WdaAI7KFdL">pic.twitter.com/WdaAI7KFdL</a></p>&mdash; Fan Club Cricket2022 (@ClubCricket2022) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClubCricket2022/status/1602638813234622464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bangladesh have lost 13 of their 22 Tests and have failed to win their last five encounters in Chattogram.

India's players to watch

1. Virat Kohli - Virat Kohli is a first-class red-ball player and is untouchable at his best. Given his form in the T20 World Cup, we expect him to find his old form even in the long format. In 102 Test matches, Kohli has scored 8074 runs at an average of 49.53 

2. Ravichandran Ashwin - Ashwin has been a critical player for India in the most extended format. In 86 Test matches, Ashwin has taken 442 wickets and scored 2931 runs. He is a crucial spinner on pitches in the subcontinent and will be one of the most important bowlers in this series.

Bangladesh's players to watch

1. Shakib Al Hasan - One of the best all-rounders in international cricket, Shakib is undoubtedly a key player, especially on domestic pitches. He has played 63 Test matches so far in which he has scored 4251 runs and taken 225 wickets

2. Mehidy Hasan Miraz- He is currently the hero of the Bangladesh cricket team and has single-handedly won two ODIs for his team against India, both with the bat and the ball. He also scored his first ODI hundred in this series.

Match Prediction

India are predicted to win the first Test as India lead Head to head.

Top Picks

Virat Kohli

Ravichandran Ashwin

Shakib Al Hasan

Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Pitch Report

The ground at Chattogram's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium is expected to remain spin-friendly throughout the first Test beginning on December 14.

Team Squad

India: KL Rahul (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Saurabh Kumar, Rishabh Pant, Srikar Bharat, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, and Navdeep Saini.

Bangladesh: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hassan Shanto, Mominul Haque, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (C), Litton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Zakir Hasan, Rejaur Rahman Raja, and Anamul Haque Bijoy.