4 things Bangladesh must do to cause an upset in the one-off Test against India

With neighbours India and Bangladesh about to lock horns against each other in a full-fledged series, there is sure to be some banter between arguably two of the most passionate group of fans in world cricket today.

After the World Cup fiasco, the relationship between the two teams’ fans has deteriorated even further and this could be their most hostile get-together yet.

India go into the series as hot favourites, despite Bangladesh seeming like a rejuvenated bunch after dismantling Pakistan in the shorter formats. In the toughest version of the game, however, Bangladesh are still way behind their opponents.

With just a single Test match to be played in the series, here are 4 things Bangladesh need to do for them to pull off a massive upset:

Bat Soumya Sarkar higher up the order

Soumya Sarkar

Though people who follow the domestic circuit have always known the talent he possesses, Soumya Sarkar has been the revelation of the year so far. First, he displayed his talent on the world stage with some breezy performances in the World Cup, scoring 175 runs from 6 matches at an average just under 30.

Then, he went a step further by scoring his first ODI century against Pakistan in the recently concluded series. He has sealed his place in the team in limited-overs cricket and given the technique he possesses, it wouldn’t be wrong to claim that he won’t be dropped from the Test team for some time either.

However, against Pakistan, he was pushed down to bat at number 7 because the team was overloaded with batsmen, with the likes of Imrul Kayes and Mominul Haque – who don’t feature much in the shorter formats – having filled up the positions where Sarkar usually bats.

And the results were apparent.

He wasn’t as effective as he would have liked to be, which is obvious given that he is a top-order batsman. With Mahmudullah out injured for the whole series, the number 4 slot has been opened up and he should be played there in order to use his potential to the fullest.

It is no secret that he and Mominul Haque are the two most naturally gifted batsmen in the team. So, giving them the best possible opportunities to succeed would serve them well and that is what they ought to do.

Right team combination

This was another important reason for Bangladesh failing to overcome Pakistan in the Test matches. Playing 8 batsmen and only 3 genuine bowlers, they found it impossible to have any kind of potency with the ball. While Shakib Al Hasan could be classified as a genuine bowler himself, taking the number to 4, Shuvagata Hom falls some way short to be regarded as a genuine bowler.

Now, however, with Mahmudullah out injured, Bangladesh have a chance to find the right balance by replacing him with a bowler. Young leg-spinner Jubair Hossain should be given the nod along with either one of Abul Hasan or Mohammed Shahid to replace Mashrafe Mortaza.

With these changes, Bangladesh will be a far greater force and could give the Indian side a run for their money.

Making full use of Taijul Islam

Taijul Islam

The only player ever to have taken a hat-trick on his Test debut, Taijul Islam is a fine talent and with the right guidance, he can be one of the best slow left-arm bowlers in the world.

In the first Test against Pakistan, Taijul took 6 wickets in the only innings he got to bowl, thereby displaying his ability on a flat deck. He has the ability to surprise batsmen with his subtle variations and on the right kind of track, he can be close to unplayable.

While Indians are excellent players of spin bowling, they have been susceptible to left-arm spinners in the past. If Bangladesh can prepare a track that favours the spinners, Taijul could pose some danger for the Indian batsmen.

Attacking the Indian bowlers

Tamim Iqbal has a good record against India

It is well known that the Indian bowling attack is not among the best in the world. While their batting is sometimes even better than world-class, their bowling has let them down on numerous occasions by undoing the good work of the batsmen.

The Bangladesh batsmen should take full advantage of this by looking to attack the Indian bowlers. Against Pakistan in the first innings of the first Test, the Bangladesh batsmen were overcautious and that eventually cost them.

They learned their lesson, however, as they took the attack to the Pakistan bowlers in the second innings, with Tamim Iqbal scoring a double century. The same approach should be adopted against India as going into their shell with the bat in hand could cost them dearly.

With Tamim opening and in great form, he should look to lead from the front against a side he has enjoyed playing against in the past.