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Following his absence from the T20 World Cup due to a back issue, Jasprit Bumrah is not participating in the trip.
Ravindra Jadeja, an all-around player, has rejoined India’s Test and ODI teams for their December tour of Bangladesh. He had knee surgery and has been receiving rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. It is thought that he is nearing the end of his recovery.
With pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is also being treated by the NCA medical team while he recovers from a stress response in his back, India’s selectors have been more careful.
Chief Selector Chetan Sharma didn’t want to rush Bumrah back into action for Bangladesh, India’s penultimate World Test Championship match, but was certain that he would be ready for the home Tests against Australia in February.
“You saw what happened when we tried to rush Bumrah back in for the T20 World Cup, we’re without him,” Sharma said. “The medical team is looking closely at him and he’ll definitely be part of the team, against Australia. For Bangladesh, we’re a little cautious against rushing him back soon.”
In the meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul—who were all rested for the New Zealand tour in November after the T20 World Cup—will all be back for the three One-Day Internationals and two Test matches against Bangladesh. These three are anticipated to serve as the batting’s cornerstone together with Rishabh Pant, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Shreyas Iyer. Hardik Pandya, who is taking part in the entire New Zealand tour, has been excused from going to Bangladesh.
With the exception of Jadeja, the spinners are strong, featuring R Ashwin, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav, who last competed in a Test match in February 2021.
The selectors chose Shubman Gill over Mayank Agarwal, who was brought in as a last-minute replacement for Rahul during the fifth Test against England in June. Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari were also left out.
“Our middle order is packed and as per team combination, wickets and conditions, we looked at players who will potentially play in the XI,” Sharma said, when asked about Vihari’s absence. On Rahane, Sharma was clear: “He needs to score some more runs in domestic cricket.”
“The door is not closed on anyone,” Sharma said. “Pujara scored runs, he’s been picked. Rahane made some runs [in the Duleep Trophy opener], he’s been playing domestic cricket and the selectors have been in constant touch with him. If he scores runs, he will definitely be considered.”
Sarfaraz Khan of Mumbai, who topped the charts in the 2021–22 Ranji Trophy by scoring 982 runs in nine innings at an average of 122.75, was one of those who nearly missed out, according to Sharma. He scored four century, one of which came against Madhya Pradesh in the championship match. Sarfaraz has also been a consistent player for India A teams over the past 12 months.
The ODI squad’s selectors persisted in considering Rajat Patidar of Madhya Pradesh and Rahul Tripathi of Maharashtra for potential middle-order slots. Both players were in the mix for the home ODIs against South Africa last month and had successful IPL seasons for their respective teams.
Yash Dayal, a left-arm seamer from Uttar Pradesh, was one of the unexpected additions for the ODIs. Dayal, who was formerly a member of India’s net bowling team, just completed an impressive first IPL season with the champion Gujarat Titans, taking 11 wickets in nine games while maintaining an economy rate of 9.25.
India’s trip to Bangladesh kicks off with three one-day internationals at Mirpur on December 4, 7, and 10, followed by two test matches in Chattogram (December 14–18) and Mirpur (December 22-26).
If India wins their final six Test matches in the cycle, they will likely finish fourth in the WTC rankings and go to the championship game. Following the Bangladesh Tests, four will be played early the following year against Australia.
