KL Rahul, Axar Patel Axed From India's Playing XI vs Bangladesh By World Cup Winner

The Indian cricket team for the first test against Bangladesh, starting on September 19, has been announced. Pacers Yash Dayal and Akash Deep got national team call-ups while Rishabh Pant also made a comeback in the Rohit Sharma-led side. The two-Test Bangladesh series will be the start of a long season for India. After Bangladesh, India will face New Zealand, South Africa and Australia towards the end of the year. The performance of the team in the Test series against Bangladesh, thus, will be crucial. 

Brad Hogg, member of the Australian cricket teams which won the 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cup, had an interesting take on the likely playing XI of the Indian team in the first Test.  

“The XI that I am going to the first Test match against Bangladesh for India – Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma open the batting. Gill three, Kohli at 4, and Jadeja coming at five just to keep that left-handed right-hand combination going. Sarfaraz Khan, Pant and then you’re into the bowlers, where you’ve got Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj, and Bumrah,” Hogg said on his YouTube channel.

“That team will go pretty well down in Australia as well. So, they’ve got to start warming up for the Australian summer. India, so this will be a good start for them. No KL Rahul or Axar Patel in my playing XI.”

India’s squad for the 1st Test of the Bangladesh Test series: 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, Yash Dayal.