5 Differentials for your Dream11 team | India v Ban Dream11 Tips

Post a thrilling 2-1 victory over Bangladesh in the recently concluded T20I series, the Indian Cricket Team's focus will now shift to the longest format of the game as Virat Kohli returns to lead the side in a two-match Test series with the same two teams squaring off, beginning with the first Test match on November 14th at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

India began their ICC World Test Championship quest with a clinical 2-0 away series win over West Indies and then returned home to whitewash South Africa 3-0 in a lopsided three-match series.

For Bangladesh, this series will be the first of many in their Test Championship quest and will be squaring off against India after a long gap of over two and a half years, having last visited India back in 2017 for a one-off test which ended in a comfortable 208-run win for the hosts on the back of a fine 204-run knock from Virat Kohli.

India's squad for the two Test matches has just one change from the team that played South Africa as left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem has been omitted from the squad, while on the other hand, Bangladesh will be led by Mominul Haque in the absence of senior all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.

With some familiar names such as Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mushfiqur Rahim among others set to feature in the opening Test match, this presents an opportunity for Dream11 fanatics to try their hand at forming the best XI from both teams combined and earn a good amount of points.

However, with most team owners certain to pick stars such as Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara among others in their sides, the presence of a few players who might not be picked by a large chunk of the team owners, but could make a massive difference might turn out to be a masterstroke.

In this article, we have a look at five such stars who could prove to be the 'differential' players from the first Test.

Also see - India vs Bangladesh schedule 2019

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#5 Mehidy Hasan (Bangladesh)

Can Mehidy Hasan make up for the absence of Shakib Al Hasan?

Last 12 months -

Matches: 4, Wickets: 20, Runs: 92, 5-wicket hauls: 2

An off-spinner who can also churn out some quality knocks lower down the order, Mehidy Hasan could prove to provide the cushion of comfort for Bangladesh in the absence of star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.

Given that the Indian squad boasts of two of Test cricket's best all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin apart from Bangladesh's Mahmudullah, it is quite easy to look past Mehidy Hasan's contributions and miss out from picking him in the fantasy side.

However, in the past 12 months, Mehidy has emerged as Bangladesh's best bowler with 20 wickets from just four matches, apart from contributing with 92 runs coming in lower down the order. While the batting numbers do not look too convincing, there's a lot more to what the numbers read.

If one was to turn the clock back to Bangladesh's first Test match in India back in 2017, Mehidy scored 51 and 23 from his two innings that added a sense of stability to his side's batting effort, but in the end, it did not suffice.

A capable all-rounder, Mehidy could be pipped to trouble the Indian batsmen a little by making the most of the turn on offer and also offer some resistance lower down the order.

#4 Ajinkya Rahane (India)

Can Rahane strike form in this series?

Last 12 months -

Matches: 9, Runs: 704, 100s: 2, 50s: 5

One man who has been in the news in recent times is Ajinkya Rahane, albeit for his inconsistent run of form. A vital cog in India's middle order, Rahane has often been guilty of throwing away his wicket after a good start, and yet, he makes for a promising case to bring about a lot of points if included in a Dream11 side.

With most team owners likely to accommodate in-form opener Rohit Sharma, skipper Virat Kohli, and Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara in the XI, Rahane's contributions could make all the difference.

Rahane has enjoyed batting against Bangladesh in Test matches, having amassed 208 runs from three innings at a commendable average of 69.33. Additionally, he will be full of confidence coming into this series, having scored 115 and 59 in his last two innings against South Africa.

With the likes of Shubman Gill and Hanuma Vihari waiting to make the most use of opportunities handed out to them, Rahane will also need to prove himself in the middle order, which will be a massive push for him to do well in this two-match series.

#3 Mominul Haque (Bangladesh)

Mominul Haque will be leading Bangladesh in this Test series

Last 12 months -

Matches: 5, Runs: 291, Average: 29.00

Truth be told, Mominul Haque is not in the best of form in the last 12 months, but the quality he brings to the fore at the No.3 position is something that has landed him the captaincy duties for this series.

Over the last two years, Mominul has impressed with the bat and currently leads the run-charts for Bangladesh with 773 runs from 21 innings since 2017, including four centuries and one fifty, with his biggest strength being his ability to convert starts into big scores.

With the likes of Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Soumya Sarkar in the side, it would be easy to look away from picking Mominul in the side, which could prove to be costly, since the southpaw plays spin and pace equally well, which makes him a big prospect for scoring a lot of runs.

For Dream11 fans, a lot of runs only means one thing, a lot of points!

#2 Mayank Agarwal (India)

Mayank Agarwal has been in good form over the past year

Last 12 months -

Matches: 7, Runs: 615, 100s: 2, 50s: 3

It is less than a year since Mayank Agarwal made his Test debut in Sydney, and he has already cemented his spot at the top of the order with some big knocks. Be it his two half-centuries against Australia or his maiden double century which came against South Africa at Visakhapatnam last month, Agarwal has certainly grabbed his chances with both hands.

Yet, Agarwal perfectly fits the phrase 'to swim with the sharks', as his performances have surprisingly and yet easily fallen under the shadows of knocks from Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and most recently, Rohit Sharma.

With Rohit in the form of his life and the duo of Kohi and Pujara must-haves in any Dream11 side, Agarwal might not be picked by too many, and for those who opt to pick him in their side, he could prove to be a vital pick.

Given his ability to turn the screws right from the beginning and pile the pressure on the opposition bowlers, Agarwal will be keen to make yet another good impression. And with Bangladesh slightly lacking experience in the bowling unit, expect Agarwal to come good in this game.

#1 Umesh Yadav (India)

Umesh Yadav could have a massive say with the ball in hand

Last 12 months -

Matches: 3, Wickets: 13, Average: 21.00

When Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the three-match Test series against South Africa, social media was divided on the call-up for Umesh Yadav, who had last played a Test match in December 2018.

Although Yadav was benched for the first Test, he replaced Hanuma Vihari in the second match and struck twice within his first two overs. Steaming in and pitching the ball in the right areas, Umesh removed both openers in a flash and induced an edge from Theunis de Bruyn's bat as he gave India an early edge in the game.

Finishing with 3/37 from 13 overs in the first essay, Yadav returned to wreak havoc in the second inning, this time cleaning up the tail as he recorded excellent figures of 6/59 in his return game.

In an attack comprising of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and spin twins R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Yadav made a telling impact with his pace and the swing he procured.

While most Dream11 team owners might be inclined to pick the aforementioned four only owing to their consistent show in the past few years, Umesh Yadav's form and ability to create early inroads, not to forget big-hitting lower down the order makes for his place in the Dream11 side.