Chennai, Sep 16 (PTI) Rohit Sharma and his team engaged in an intensive training session as they gear up for the first Test against Bangladesh. All 16 members of the squad participated actively in the practice held at Chepauk on Monday.

Following a day of rest, the Indian squad embarked on their third practice session since arriving in Chennai last week. The much-anticipated first Test is set to commence on Thursday.

As usual, Virat Kohli was among the early batters to take to the nets. In the adjacent net, young left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal also practiced, facing deliveries from pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and local legend R Ashwin.

The next group of batters to practice included skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Sarfaraz Khan. Sarfaraz joined the squad after participating in the second round of the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur. Rohit focused on honing his skills against spin bowlers, given Bangladesh’s potent slow-bowling lineup.

Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj also faced local bowlers and endured a significant number of throwdowns. The practice pitch at the main square provided a decent amount of bounce, allowing players to adjust their techniques accordingly.

India is scheduled for two more practice sessions before the series opener against Bangladesh. The visitors are buoyed by their recent series sweep in Pakistan and will be confident heading into the match.

Most positions in the playing eleven are likely predetermined. Given Chennai’s spin-friendly surface, India is expected to field three spinners alongside two pacers. The likely spinners are Ashwin, Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav, while Bumrah and Siraj will handle the pace duties. Despite his impressive all-round performances, Axar Patel might have to sit out.

On the batting front, Rishabh Pant is set to make his Test return after nearly two years. This means Dhruv Jurel, who impressed in his debut series against England, will likely be benched.

Fielding coach T Dilip praised the unit’s intensity despite Chennai’s challenging humid weather. “Today’s session was designed to bring everyone together for a team drill with two segments. Considering the humidity, we ensured lower volume but higher intensity,” Dilip told bcci.tv after the session.

Dilip elaborated on the training module: “We divided the team into two groups for a catching competition. The team with fewer errors won, and it was Virat’s team that came out on top.”

The coach also spoke about how players coped with the extreme weather while giving their best during the session. “We split the players into two batches—bowlers and all-rounders worked on outfield and in-field catching, while another group focused on slip cordon and close-in fielding,” Dilip explained.

He expressed satisfaction with the effort put in by Rohit Sharma’s men. “Overall, it was a fantastic session under the hot sun. The team’s intensity remained top-notch throughout,” Dilip concluded.

The detailed preparation underscores India’s commitment as they look forward to a challenging series against a confident Bangladesh side.