Bangladesh opted to bowl first, with both teams fielding three pacers

  Bangladesh opted to bowl first, with both teams fielding three pacers

Bangladesh opted to bowl first, with both teams fielding three pacers. While choosing to bat second in a Test match in India is uncommon, the team selections and overhead conditions appeared to support Bangladesh's decision.

Bangladesh opts to bowl vs India Bangladesh surprised many by electing to bowl first in the opening Test of India's home season—

Bangladesh surprised many by electing to bowl first in the opening Test of India's home season—rare decision on Indian soil. It marked the first time in five years that a team has chosen to field first in a Test match in India and the first time in seven years when India was involved. The last instance came in a rain-affected match played on a green steamer. Interestingly, Rohit Sharma revealed that India, too, would have opted to bowl had they won the toss, reinforcing the wisdom behind Bangladesh’s decision. Both teams picked three fast bowlers, signaling their intent to make use of the overcast conditions. The gray skies were a welcome change for Chennai, where the previous week saw record-breaking heat. Rohit pointed out that the pitch had a bit of softness underneath, which could aid seam movement early on. The red-soil surface is expected to provide good bounce, and as the match progresses, spin should come into play. This match also marks Rishabh Pant's return to Test cricket after recovering from a serious car accident in late 2022. KL Rahul, fit again, returned to the side and was chosen to bat in the middle order, ahead of Sarfaraz Khan. Meanwhile, Bangladesh stuck with the same XI that secured a series win against Pakistan. India XI: Rohit Sharma (capt.) Yashasvi Jaiswal Shubman Gill Virat Kohli KL Rahul Rishabh Pant (wk) Ravindra Jadeja R Ashwin Akash Deep Mohammed Siraj Jasprit Bumrah Bangladesh XI: Shadman Islam Zakir Hasan Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt.) Mominul Haque Mushfiqur Rahim Litton Das (wk) Shakib Al Hasan Mehidy Hasan Miraz Taskin Ahmed Hasan Mahmud Nahid Rana