Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik recently shared his thoughts on whether Bangladesh will pose a significant challenge to India in the upcoming two-match Test series. The India National Cricket Team, led by Rohit Sharma, is set to face Bangladesh at home, with the first Test starting on September 19 in Chennai and the second from September 27 in Kanpur.
India and Bangladesh have a long history in Test cricket, with Bangladesh becoming a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2000. However, India has dominated the format whenever the two sides have met. Out of 13 Test matches between the teams, India has won 11, while Bangladesh is yet to secure a victory. The remaining matches ended in draws, mostly influenced by weather conditions.
The last time India faced Bangladesh in Test cricket was in December 2022. India toured Bangladesh for a two-match Test series, winning the first Test in Chittagong by 188 runs and the second in Mirpur by three wickets, resulting in a clean sweep. The Indian team’s dominance in that series extended their winning streak against Bangladesh in the format.
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Despite their record against India, Bangladesh enters this series on a high note, having recently achieved a historic Test series win against Pakistan. Under Najmul Hossain Shanto’s captaincy, Bangladesh swept Pakistan in a two-match Test series, winning by margins of 10 wickets and 6 wickets, marking their first-ever Test series victory against Pakistan. This recent success sparked speculation about whether Bangladesh could challenge India on their home turf.
Dinesh Karthik, however, is skeptical about Bangladesh’s chances of upsetting India. In a video on Cricbuzz, Karthik said, “I personally don’t think that Bangladesh will give India a tough time. Beating India in India is a humongous task, and although Bangladesh has played well in Pakistan, I don’t believe they’ll trouble India much.” His comments reflect the daunting challenge teams face when playing against India in India, where the home side has a formidable track record.
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The upcoming series will be the first time India hosts Bangladesh in a Test series since the historic pink-ball Test in November 2019. Both teams have announced their squads for the series, and it promises to be an exciting contest. India has named a full-strength squad, with the return of Rishabh Pant to red-ball cricket being a highlight.
However, Bangladesh suffered a setback before the series, as their leading pacer, Shoriful Islam, was ruled out due to a groin injury sustained during the Pakistan tour. Despite this, Bangladesh will be eager to put up a fight against the hosts.
