Chennai : The Bangladesh cricket team arrived in Chennai on Sunday, led by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. He was accompanied by fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, wicketkeeper Litton Das, all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and other teammates along with the support staff.
Bangladesh is scheduled to play two Tests and three T20Is against India. The first Test will take place in Chennai, starting on 19th September.
Bangladesh is currently in top form, having whitewashed Pakistan 2-0 to win their first Test series on Pakistani soil. The team secured a commanding 10-wicket victory in the first Test, followed by a six-wicket win in the second.
Speaking at the pre-departure press conference in Dhaka, Najmul acknowledged that the series against India will be challenging. However, he added that the team is feeling "extra confidence" following their victory over Pakistan.
"It will be a challenging series, but we have the extra confidence from the Pakistan series.
I think the whole country shares that confidence now. Every series is an opportunity. We want to win both Tests, but we need to stick to our process. If we do our job, we can get a good result," Najmul Hossain was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The Bangladesh skipper also outlined their goals for the tour of India.
"They are well ahead of us in the rankings, but we have been playing well recently. Our goal is to perform well over the five days of each Test. We aim to get a result in the final session, where the match can go in any direction. It's an opportunity to secure our first win in India. We will play with a winning mindset, but we don't want to think too far ahead. We must focus on playing to our strengths over five days," he added.
Najmul also highlighted the strength of Bangladesh's bowling attack, which he believes can perform in any conditions.
"Our bowling attack is in a good place, both in terms of spin and pace. While our pacers might lack the same experience as India's, our spin attack is close to theirs. They can bowl in any conditions. All I can say is that our pacers, spinners, and batters will give 100%," he further added.
The second Test between India and Bangladesh will take place in Kanpur, from September 27.
Currently, India leads the WTC standings with a points percentage of 68.52. Their upcoming WTC series include Bangladesh (two Tests at home), New Zealand (three Tests at home), and Australia (five Tests away).
India squad: 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, Yash Dayal.
Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Jaker Ali Anik.