India vs Bangladesh First Test Tips - Tight game between sub-continental rivals

With the confidence of a rare away Test series win, Bangladesh will hope to catch India off the guard as the sides begin their two-Test series. The first match will be played at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai from Thursday.

India is a powerhouse when playing at home, and even teams like England and Australia have struggled to break them down. That said, Bangladesh troubled India when these sides last met in Bangladesh, coming close to a win. They travel here from Pakistan, where they achieved a historic series win. It could be a closer-than-anticipated match, although India is still expected to win. I am putting my money in the opening partnership market, backing India to come out with the goods.

• Bangladesh conceded the highest opening partnership to India in their last 2 matches (Tests)
• Bangladesh conceded the highest o/p in 5 of their last 7 away matches (Tests)
• India posted the highest o/p in 8 of their last 12 home matches (Tests)

India and Bangladesh have played each other in 13 Tests, with India winning 11 and drawing the other two. The sides last met in December 2022 in a two-match series in Bangladesh, when India won 2-0.

The last of those matches ended in a three-wicket win for India, which could easily have been a victory for Bangladesh, as India were left tottering at 74 for 7 while chasing 145.

India is top of the table in the ICC Test Championship but can’t afford to lose here as New Zealand and Australia are up next for them. Some of the players have played the Duleep Trophy ahead of the series for better preparation.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah are among those who have taken a break, but India will hope they can get into game mode quickly.

Home conditions usually favor the Indians, who have banked on Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to deliver the goods.

Bangladesh is coming off a 2-0 series win against Pakistan, their biggest away series win against any side. That the wins were achieved after they came out of difficult situations in both matches gives more credibility to the visitors.

They haven’t won a Test match in India, losing all three previous ones, but those were played in 2019 or before. The Tigers have improved since then and have even managed to run India closer when these sides last met.

The presence of seasoned players like Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mehidy Hasan makes Bangladesh a very dangerous side.