CHENNAI: A series sweep against Bangladesh will cement India’s place atop the World Test Championship (WTC) standings but the team under Rohit Sharma are guarding against any complacency in the two-match home series beginning in Chennai on Thursday.

Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, are on a high after their memorable 2-0 series victory in Pakistan, a team they had never beaten before in a Test match.

The task will be tougher against India, who have prevailed in 11 of the 13 previous encounters between the neighbours — the other two were draws — and have not lost a home test series since 2012.

“I have been big believer that we don’t fear anyone but we respect everyone,” India head coach Gautam Gambhir told reporters on Wednesday.

“I congratulate them for what they did in Pakistan but this is a new series and they are a quality side and we want to play good cricket.”

India are hoping to make the WTC final for the third time in a row and are eyeing a strong start to their season, which also includes three home Tests against New Zealand followed by five in Australia.

They have been reinforced by wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s return to the side after a horrible crash in December 2022.

Dhruv Jurel, who impressed both behind and in front of the stumps in the home series against England earlier this year, will have to wait for his turn.

“Jurel is a phenomenal player but when Pant is coming in, sometimes people have to wait,” Gambhir said.

Mohammed Shami will miss the series as he recovers from an ankle surgery but Bangladesh batters will still have to deal with the cunning and craft of India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and the lively pace of Mohammed Siraj.

The series will literally be a different ball game altogether for Shanto and his men.

Used to playing with the Kookaburra ball, they will have to adjust to the SG variety with pronounced seam in India.

Gambhir’s Bangladesh counterpart Chandika Hathurusinghe was confident his team would maintain their standard against India.

“It certainly gives us a lot of confidence coming into this series,” Sri Lankan Hathurusinghe said ahead of the match referring to their victory in Pakistan. “Not because of the outcome of the series but the way we played that series... give us a lot of belief for this series.”

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2024