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For the first time since 2019, Bangladesh is visiting India for a bilateral series for the third time in total. They just defeated Pakistan 2-0 in Pakistan, which was their largest Test victory to date. Here are five players from Bangladesh who should be on the lookout for the two-match Test series in India.
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, guided his team to their first international victory in fifteen years, a 2-0 Test series victory over Pakistan. Throughout the tour, he shown outstanding leadership qualities, particularly while organising his fast-bowling attack. The 26-year-old is regarded as a young and senior liaison in Bangladesh.
After their disappointing World Cup campaign in India, the BCB named him captain in November of last year. In response, Shanto hit a century in Sylhet, where they achieved their first-ever home victory over New Zealand. Despite his lacklustre play since March of this year, Shanto is still the BCB’s first-choice captain due to his perseverance and resilient spirit.
Nahid Rana
At the moment, Bangladesh’s most talked-about fast bowler is Nahid Rana. In his three Test matches thus far, he has averaged about 145 kph, and he has even reached 150 kph when singing. In the second Test match against Pakistan, Rana claimed four wickets in the second innings. During his first three overs, he removed the wickets of both Babar Azam and the highly effective Saud Shakeel.
Rana is a resident of Chapai Nawabganj, a district located on Bangladesh’s northwest Indian border. Less than five years had passed since he first picked up a cricket ball when he made his Test debut. He was given special treatment in the first-class competition and finished with 32 wickets in the 2022–2023 season, setting the stage for his Test debut earlier this year.
Shadman Islam
With a composed 93 in the opening Test in Rawalpindi, the left-handed opener set the tone for Bangladesh’s victory in the Test series against Pakistan. Shadman opened up when he was batting with Mushfiqur Rahim after absorbing the pressure produced by the pace attack led by Shaheen Afridi. Shadman was removed in the nineties, just short of his second Test century, but he still made a significant impact on the series.
Bangladesh’s opening duo of Shadman and Zakir Hasan set the stage for their triumph in Pakistan. After a gap of two years, Shadman was returning to the Test team. He was a last-minute substitute for regular opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who suffered an injury prior to the opening Test. Shadman will continue to compete for his Test slot even though he is already the incumbent.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Mehidy, who has participated in all three of Bangladesh’s Test matches in India and was among the top players in the nation during the 2023 ODI World Cup, will be more well-known to Indian viewers. Prior to it, in the 2022 bilateral ODI series in Bangladesh, he had scored two outstanding runs against India.
Bangladesh was reduced to 26 for 6 in the second Test, but Mehidy and Litton put up 165 runs for the seventh wicket. Along with Mushfiqur, he scored 196 runs for the seventh wicket in the opening over, pushing Bangladesh’s total above 500. Mehidy is a crucial player who is gradually stepping out from behind Shakib Al Hasan.
Hasan Mahmud
In the second match against Pakistan, Mahmud, 24, claimed his first five wickets, contributing to Bangladesh’s first-ever instance of having all ten wickets taken by their fast bowlers in an innings in Test cricket. Mahmud can get the ball to swing and seam while bowling at an average pace of 135 kph. Prior to being selected for his Test debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year, he primarily played white-ball cricket. Mahmud was a standout player in Pakistan, using the new ball to gain early traction before applying additional pressure to the batsmen with the old one. Along with his bat, he demonstrated character by partnering with Litton Das for two hours during a pivotal eighth-wicket stand in the second Test.