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Virat Kohli: Following a much-needed break, the stars of the Indian men cricket team are gearing up for an intense red-ball season, beginning next week with their first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. The squad, announced earlier this month, includes key players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, along with left-arm pacer Yash Dayal. who is set to make his Test debut.
This Chennai Test marks India first under the new head coach, Gautam Gambhir. Most squad members, except Sarfaraz Khan and Dayal—who are currently competing in the Duleep Trophy—have arrived in Chennai. The support staff, including new bowling coach Morne Morkel, have also joined the team. The first training session took place on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Virat Kohli, who recently returned from London, landed in Chennai at 4 AM IST today and immediately joined his teammates. According to a report by PTI, Kohli spent approximately 45 minutes at the nets to adjust back to the red-ball format. Kohli had missed the five-match England Test series at home due to the birth of his child, with his last Test appearance being during the South Africa tour in December-January this year.
Bumrah Bowling at Full Pelt
Right-arm pacer Jasprit Bumrah is set to return to action for the first time since the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in June. He was given an extended break and missed the tours to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, with the team management aiming to keep him fresh for crucial Test series, including the upcoming tour of Australia later this year. During a recent practice session, Bumrah was reported to have bowled at full intensity. According to PTI, a local source confirmed that Bumrah was in top form, alongside Virat Kohli, who also spent 45 minutes at the nets.
Rohit, Rishabh, Rahul Arrive
Rohit, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Bumrah arrived on Thursday night while Sarfaraz is expected to join the team after the conclusion of the second round of Duleep Trophy. He is a currently representing India B in Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh).
India Approach in Focus
The duo of Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar has been joined by South Africa great Morkel as part of India coaching staff. With the erstwhile coaching staff led by Rahul Dravid stepping away barring fielding coach T Dilip, it will be interesting what approach the Indian Test team adopts against a team like Bangladesh. The visitors will be high on confidence following their historic Test series win against Pakistan recently.
Crucial WTC Points For Grabs
India, two-time runners-up of the ICC World Test Championship, are currently leading the standings for the ongoing cycle as well and are closely followed by current title holders Australia at the second spot. Bangladesh have zoomed to the fourth spot thanks to a 2-0 clean sweep of Pakistan. India are at the top with 68.52 percentage points while Bangladesh fourth with 45.83 percentage points. After Bangladesh, India will host New Zealand for three Tests before flying to Australia for a five-match assignment.
Team India begins their preps for an exciting home season
The preparatory session in Chennai marked Gautam Gambhir first home assignment since he succeeded Rahul Dravid as India head coach. Joining Gambhir are his new coaching staff: Morne Morkel as the bowling coach and Abhishek Nayar as the assistant coach.
The BCCI shared images of the initial practice session on X, highlighting players engaged with Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma. The BCCI’s caption read. The countdown starts as Team India begin their preps for an exciting home season. Rohit Sharma arrived in Chennai on Thursday night, wearing a yellow jersey, while Virat Kohli flew in from London this morning. Other key players, including KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, also arrived on Thursday. Sarfaraz Khan will join the team after completing his Duleep Trophy 2024 commitments with India B.
India aims to grab all WTC points in Bangladesh Tests
The Indian team knows there is simply no room for error with vital WTC points up for grabs. Sitting at the top of the WTC table with a lead of 6.52 percentage points, India is gearing up for the grueling Test season, featuring a total of 10 Tests against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia.
India will be aiming to set the tone for an all-important Test season ahead. the hosts can’t take Bangladesh, fresh from a sensational 2-0 series win over Pakistan, lightly in the home series. Notably, after the upcoming two Tests, the two teams will also play three T20Is next month.
Virat Kohli 58 Runs Away From Overtaking Sachin Tendulkar
The debate of who stands taller in the cricketing pantheon, ‘King’ Virat Kohli or the ‘God of Cricket’ Sachin Tendulkar, is heating up as Kohli approaches a milestone that could set him apart in the 147-year history of international cricket. Kohli, currently with 80 international centuries, is closing in on Tendulkar’s record of 100 centuries. it is another significant milestone that Kohli is on the brink of achieving.
With 26,942 runs accumulated across all formats over 591 innings, Kohli is just 58 runs away from becoming the first cricketer to reach 27,000 runs in fewer than 600 innings. Tendulkar, the current record-holder, reached this milestone in 623 innings (226 in Tests, 396 in ODIs, and 1 in T20Is). Kohli has a chance to surpass this mark during the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, potentially rewriting the record books.
Kumar Sangakkara and Ricky Ponting are the only other players to have scored 27,000 runs in international cricket, but Kohli potential achievement would be unprecedented. His arrival in Chennai, reported by PTI, signals his readiness to resume international cricket. After playing a pivotal role in helping India secure their second T20 World Cup title, Kohli, along with Rohit Sharma, has retired from the T20 format, focusing now on the 50-over and Test formats.
As India prepares for the Bangladesh Test series, Kohli and Sharma, both experienced campaigners, are poised to give their best. With India currently leading the World Test Championship standings, the team remains committed to maintaining their momentum. Kohli quest for this milestone adds an extra layer of excitement to the series, promising a thrilling start to the red-ball season.
Sarfaraz Khan will join the team after his Duleep Trophy game.
The team is looking to recover from the disappointment of losing to Sri Lanka in August. which was Gambhir first series as head coach. India will face a confident Bangladesh team, fresh off a 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan. The series holds significant World Test Championship points. After this, India will face New Zealand and Australia in upcoming series.
India currently lead the WTC table with 68.52 percentage points, followed by Australia with 62.50 percentage points. Bangladesh is fourth with 45.83 percentage points. The second Test between India and Bangladesh will be played in Kanpur from September 27.
