India will be playing their first Test against Bangladesh, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai, starting Thursday, September 19. Since India are looking to play their best XI, there is huge interest in what the Chennai pitch has to offer and how its going to support the bowling lineup.

Red Soil Will Offer Bounce– More Pace Friendly

ESPNcricinfo reports that the Chennai pitch would have red soil, which might provide the fast bowlers a good deal of favorable bounce and carry. The red soil may not have been the usual something associated with the Chennai pitches but should be able to offer quality bounce in order to support the pacers as well as the spinners. There are nine pitches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, three of which make use of red soil imported from Mumbai. This colour of red soil is known for imparting good bounce to both pace and spinners. Conversely, pitches by the black soil pitchers at the venue here usually offer more help to spinners although they may not present as challenging a bounce for batsmen.

IND Vs ENG (2021) Was The Last Test Played On This Pitch

The last Test India played on Chennai venue was when it hosted England in two successive matches in 2021. The first test came with a red soil-based pitch, which wore out only on the afternoon of Day 4. For the second test, there was a pitch based on red soil base and black soil top layer. India lost the first Test but levelled the series with a victory in the second Test. R. Ashwin’s dynamic innings where he scored a ton and took five wickets in the second innings to seal victory for the team stole the show.

Also Read: IND Vs BAN, 1st Test: Live Streaming, Full Schedule, Squad Details- All You Need To Know

Pitch Conditions Will Be A Huge Factor In Deciding India’s Playing XI

With five Tests lined up in bouncy conditions of Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy), head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma might consider preparing for the same by doing some practice on a bouncy pitch in Chennai. But this strategy comes with huge risks; it may invite a lot of criticism if the team fails to adapt to the sub-continent condition. The performance of the pitch will play an important role in determining the Indian Playing XI for the first Test. If the management feels that the Chennai wicket will help the pacers with the old ball, they might try to go in with just two spinners, still with a three-pronged attack.

India played three seamers at home only in the Day-Night Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata back in 2019. In that specific game, the pink ball had thrown everything open for the pacers in the twilight session.

Also Read: IND Vs BAN, 1st Test: Rishabh Pant Gets Nod Over Jurel, Axar Patel Likely To Sit Out- Report

Team India Squad For 1st Test: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (Wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Md. Siraj, Akash Deep, Yash Dayal