Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 15 (ANI): The Bangladesh cricket team made a grand entrance in Chennai on Sunday, with their dynamic captain Najmul Hossain Shanto leading the charge. Accompanying him were key players such as the formidable fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, the sharp-witted wicketkeeper Litton Das, the versatile all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and other essential team members along with their dedicated support staff.

Bangladesh is set to compete in a thrilling series against India, featuring two Tests and three T20Is. The much-anticipated first Test is slated to commence in Chennai on 19th September.

The Bangladeshi squad is riding high on confidence following their historic achievement of whitewashing Pakistan 2-0 on Pakistani soil for the first time. They clinched a decisive 10-wicket victory in the opening Test and followed it up with a resilient six-wicket win in the subsequent match.

During the pre-departure press conference held in Dhaka, Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto candidly acknowledged the formidable challenge that lies ahead against India. However, he expressed that the team is buoyed by an “extra confidence” stemming from their recent triumph over Pakistan.

“It will be a challenging series, but we have the extra confidence from the Pakistan series. I think the whole country shares that confidence now. Every series is an opportunity. We want to win both Tests, but we need to stick to our process. If we do our job, we can get a good result,” Najmul Hossain was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Expounding on their objectives for the Indian tour, Najmul emphasized their strategy and mindset.

“They are well ahead of us in the rankings, but we have been playing well recently. Our goal is to perform well over the five days of each Test. We aim to get a result in the final session, where the match can go in any direction. It’s an opportunity to secure our first win in India. We will play with a winning mindset, but we don’t want to think too far ahead. We must focus on playing to our strengths over five days,” he added.

Najmul also shed light on the robust nature of Bangladesh’s bowling lineup, underscoring their capability to adapt to various conditions.

“Our bowling attack is in a good place, both in terms of spin and pace. While our pacers might lack the same experience as India’s, our spin attack is close to theirs. They can bowl in any conditions. All I can say is that our pacers, spinners, and batters will give 100%,” he further added.

Following the first Test in Chennai, the second Test between India and Bangladesh is scheduled to unfold in Kanpur from September 27.

As of now, India commands the WTC standings with a points percentage of 68.52. Their upcoming WTC series include encounters against Bangladesh (two Tests at home), New Zealand (three Tests at home), and Australia (five Tests away).

The Indian squad features prominent names like Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh squad is composed of talented cricketers including 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.