Mominul Haque has started a new chapter for Bangladesh cricket in his maiden match as skipper by winning the toss and batting in the series-opening test against India.
The Tigers have fielded a depleted side with key players missing — star allrounder Shakib al Hasan was handed a one-match ban by the International Cricket Council for failure to report corrupt approaches, and opener Tamim Iqbal withdrew from the tour for personal reasons.
Bangladesh’s batting will revolve around senior batsmen Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, opener Imrul Kayes and allrounder Mahmudullah, but will also rely on contributions from youngsters Shadman Islam, Mohammad Mithun and Liton Das.
India's captain Virat Kohli, center, talks to teammates as they stand in a huddle at the start of the first day of first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh in Indore, India, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019. (AP PhotoAijaz Rahi)
Bangladesh opted for seven batsmen and four bowlers, with three spin options on a green surface at Indore for the first test. The pitch at Holkar Stadium had a green tinge on day one, but is expected to play true for batsmen initially. Spin is expected to play a role as the game progresses.
India opted for a third pace option with an eye on the grass covering the pitch. Experienced fast bowler Ishant Sharma replaced left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and will combine with Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav in the pace attack. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are the spinners, and Wriddhiman Saha retained the wicketkeeper duties ahead of Rishabh Pant.
India leads the World Test Championship with five wins in as many matches against West Indies and South Africa. This is Bangladesh’s first outing in the two-year championship which culminates with the final at Lord’s in 2021.
Lineups:
India: Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma.
Bangladesh: Imrul Kayes, Shadman Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mehedy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Ebadat Hossain.
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports