Team India and Bangladesh are all set to clash in a two-match Test series, which will commence on Thursday, September 19. The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will host the series opener between the two neighboring nations.
The hosts will return to red-ball cricket for the first time since March when they beat England 4-1 with a relatively inexperienced side. India's squad has been reinforced with the comeback of Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul for the upcoming series.
Bangladesh are high on confidence after whitewashing Pakistan 2-0 in the Test series. They will be eager to replicate similar performances in India, against whom they have not yet won a Test match.
Across 13 games since 2000, they lost 11 times, while two contests ended in a draw. India whitewashed Bangladesh in both the latest Test series between the two teams in 2022 and 2019.
Fans are awaiting the series to witness the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant back in action after a long break in the Test format. They expressed their anticipation by sharing hilarious memes on X and Instagram.
Here is a collection of the best memes:
"Every game becomes important because of what is at stake" - India captain Rohit Sharma on importance of winning the series vs Bangladesh
Speaking at a press conference before the first Test against Bangladesh, Rohit Sharma opened up about the importance of winning the contest, considering WTC points are at stake. He emphasized that every game is crucial for the same reason and did not want to think much about future series.
Sharma said (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):
"Look, at the end of the day, you are playing for your country. So there is no dress rehearsal kind of stuff happening here. Every game that we play is important, and every game becomes important because of what is at stake. [In the] World Test Championship, still the table is quite wide open, and you want to win every game. So it doesn't matter where we play in two months' time. We want to win here. We want to win this Test match."
Shedding light on the preparations for the Test, Rohit continued:
"We assembled here on the 12th, and we've had a good time spending hours on the field, [and] getting everything together. So yeah, it is tough. But see, now people are so experienced, they managed themselves pretty well. And guys who have not played a lot of Test cricket, obviously went on to play the Duleep Trophy, which was good."
What should be the combination of India's playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.
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