Mumbai, September 15: Bangladesh’s cricket captain Najmul Hossain Shanto announced that his team aims to secure victories in both Test matches against India, which are set to begin on September 19 in Chennai. The Bangladesh Test team departed for Chennai from Dhaka on Sunday afternoon. Following the conclusion of the first Test in Chennai on September 23, the series will move to Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium for the second Test, scheduled from September 27 to October 1. This series comes after Bangladesh’s remarkable 2-0 win against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, a historic achievement for the team. The Bangladesh National Cricket Team is now gearing up for a multi-format series against India.

Shanto emphasized the challenging nature of the upcoming series against India. “It’s definitely going to be a very challenging series for us. After a good series, there is definitely an extra confidence in the team and among the people of the country. Every series is an opportunity,” Shanto stated to reporters at the airport before their departure to Chennai.

“Our objective is to win both matches. The process and the elements that contribute to winning are crucial. Our goal will be to execute our tasks properly. Good results are achievable if we perform our duties correctly,” he added, as quoted by The Daily Star.

These two Test matches are part of the ongoing 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle. Currently, India sits at the top of the table with 68.52 percentage points, while Bangladesh holds the fourth spot with 45.83 percentage points. The last time Bangladesh toured India for a Test series was in 2019, which resulted in a 2-0 loss for Bangladesh. Meanwhile, India’s Cricket Team Vice-Captain Shubman Gill is set to be rested for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh.

Shanto further elaborated on the team’s mindset heading into the series: “If you see the ranking, India is much ahead of us. However, we have been playing well lately and had a good series recently. Our aim will be to play well for all five days of each Test. The result often hinges on the final session of the last day. If we play good cricket consistently for five days, there is always a chance for either team to clinch victory in that final session.”

The Bangladesh Test squad for this tour includes: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed, and Jaker Ali Anik.

With a mix of experienced players and promising young talent, Bangladesh is poised to put up a strong fight against a formidable Indian side. The team’s recent performance has instilled a sense of optimism and anticipation among fans and players alike as they prepare for this crucial series.