Home Test wins over Australia and England, beating Sri Lanka and New Zealand in away Tests. Most significantly, a Test series triumph in Pakistan against all odds earlier this month… All of it should give Bangladesh confidence ahead of the two-Test series against India starting on Thursday. But according to Wasim Jaffer and Sridharan Sriram, two coaches who have worked in the Bangladesh set-up in recent times, the upcoming assignment is a different ball game altogether.
A 16-member Bangladesh squad, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, arrived in Chennai on Sunday (Shakib Al Hasan is scheduled to join the team on Tuesday from the UK). As they hit the nets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday afternoon, the buzz and confidence in their ranks was hard to miss. Having remained “noisy neighbours” over the past decade, in sub-continental conditions Bangladesh have shown that they are not pushovers anymore.
A fortnight ago, with the country still recovering from months-long student protests that led to the incumbent government collapsing and the prime minister leaving the country, Bangladesh arguably had their biggest moment in Test history. After beating Pakistan despite conceding 448 in the first innings in the first Test, they recovered from 26/6 in the second to seal the series 2-0.
Bangladesh team hits the ground running with their first practice session at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. 🇧🇩 🫶#BCB #Cricket #INDvBAN #WTC25 pic.twitter.com/xH0OOpiCyr
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) September 16, 2024
Now, as they set foot in India for only their second full-fledged series since becoming a Test nation in 2000, they will face conditions closer to the ones they find back home in Bangladesh. The two venues – Chennai and Kanpur – have historically aided spinners, with the pitches offering slow turn. But according to Sriram and Jaffer, Bangladesh’s biggest challenge would be in getting used to the SG ball.
The SG ball, used for Tests in India, is known to be spinners’ favourite as the seam tends to last longer and it takes time to get soft. But visiting spinners, especially on traditional Indian decks which take time to undergo wear and tear, have historically struggled to bowl with the SG variety with Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralidharan too being no exceptions.
And Bangladesh, whose biggest strength is their army of spinners – Shakib, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan – will have their task cut out in Chennai, where a red-soil strip has been rolled out for the first Test.
“Back home they play on black soil pitches, where the ball usually keeps low and takes slow turn. But on red soil surfaces, the characteristics are totally different,” Sriram tells The Indian Express. “Here (Chennai), apart from the turn, one has to factor in the bounce as well. If the conditions assist spinners, it will turn and bounce more. So as a spinner, your seam positioning and release have to change. Even the trajectory – it’s usually low back home so that deliveries skid on – have to be worked on,” says Sriram, who has worked in the Bangladesh white-ball set up at two World Cups.
The right pitch
With black soil pitches usually being on the slower side and the bounce lower, Bangladesh spinners have relished such conditions. When India last toured Bangladesh towards the end of 2022, the hosts came close to springing a surprise before Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin bailed them out in a tricky chase at Mirpur.
That India have preferred to go with a red-soil surface is a clear sign that they are showing Bangladesh spinners respect. Their four spinners have 647 Test wickets between them, which easily make them the strongest unit to visit Indian shores in recent times. With a well-rounded pace attack to complement, and given Indian batsmen’s struggles against spinners in recent years, they have it in them to stretch the hosts provided their plans work to the T.
“Spinners will definitely like the SG ball, but if you are not used to the angle of the seam and the release, you will struggle. If you don’t do these things right, you will not get enough purchase from the pitch. They have a very good spin attack, but in Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja, India have two spinners who will make full use of the conditions,” says Sriram, who visited the Bangladesh net session in the afternoon.
Bangladesh Team arrive in Chennai for the first Test of their ICC WTC series against India.#BCB #Cricket #BDCricket #Bangladesh #INDvsBAN pic.twitter.com/wBwapu3jep
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) September 15, 2024
While Bangladesh went with just two spinners (Mehidy and Shakib) against Pakistan, it remains to be seen whether they go with an additional spinner in India. “They have three quality spinners, but if you ask me, Nayeem could be an interesting prospect,” says Sriram about the 6-foot tall off-spinner.
Not easy for batsmen either
Jaffer believes Bangladesh batting unit will have to cope with the SG ball, which will keep not just India’s spinners but also their pacers in play. “They are a competitive side in sub-continental conditions and their confidence will naturally be high after their recent success in Pakistan. They were quite comprehensive wins too, from 26/6 if you go on to win a Test, it will lift your confidence and you will believe you can do it from any situation. But India will be a different cup of tea,” Jaffer warns.
Jaffer’s warning isn’t without a reason. Since the start of 2013, India have lost just a handful of Test matches at home. And in recent times, even if the opposition gets past the spinners, their fast bowlers have inflicted telling blows.
“India at home is a tough opposition and they have rarely lost a match in the last 10 years. Playing with SG balls means their (Bangladesh’s) batsmen also need to get used to the extra bounce that will be on offer. Also, reverse-swing will be a factor here, which they are not used to as much. Bangladesh have a good batting line-up, but in these conditions, you need to show good application. If you have to win here, you have to bat well in both innings and against this Indian attack, it is a mighty task,” Jaffer feels.
The challenge of playing with the SG ball is something Bangladesh have been preparing for. Soon after they returned from Pakistan, they had a five-day camp in Mirpur, where they practised with SG balls as they are used to playing with Kookaburras in domestic cricket.
“The ball will be a different one in India. It is a little harder to play against the SG ball. The Kookaburra ball is easier to play when it gets old. It is the opposite with the SG ball. It is harder to get away against the old ball,” wicketkeeper-batsman Litton Das had said prior to their camp.
