Bangladesh vs India, One-Off Test: Five Indian Bowlers to Watch Out For
India take on Bangladesh in a one-off Test at Fatullah, starting June 10.
Harbhajan Singh
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After more than two year since playing in white flannels, Harbhajan Singh makes a return for India's one-off Test v Bangladesh. Backed by consistent IPL performances, the selectors have given the veteran spinner an opportunity to extend his international career.
The road ahead, however, is far from easy.
Harbhajan may have bowled some of the best spells in IPL 2015, but a five-day affair is a different ball game. With 413 wickets to his name, Harbhajan has good reputation going into the game vs Bangladesh but can he invigorate his waning form that has kept him out of the side in the recent past?
Harbhajan has played just three of his 101 Tests against Bangladesh, picking up six wickets. The Test at Fatullah, starting June 10, will give him an opportunity to take his wickets tally to double figures.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
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Issues of fatigue and injury rendered Bhuvneshwar Kumar ineffective during the later stage of India's England tour in 2014, and kept him out of the majority of the Australian tour and the subsequent World Cup.
Since, the scrawny Indian pacer has returned to the drawing board and worked hard to recuperate his form and fitness. The 25-year-old pacer from Meerut displayed an uncanny knack for bowling accurate yorkers during IPL 2015 and will be desperate to give his Test career a new lease of life in the one-off match vs Bangladesh.
Varun Aaron
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For a young speedster with blistering pace and raw aggression, Varun Aaron's tally of just five Test matches since making his debut in 2011 speaks volumes of his struggles to stay fit. Despite being touted as India's answer to 150 kmph-bowling, Aaron's erratic bowling has been his biggest 'Achilles' heel'. Aaron played four games in all on recent tours of England and Australia, bagging just 10 wickets.
Under an aggressive skipper like Virat Kohli, Aaron could be egged on to take his game to the next level and start afresh in the one-off game vs Bangladesh. Even former great Glenn McGrath has said on record that Aaron is one of the brightest prospects for Team India - a compliment that will surely drive the bowler to perform.
Umesh Yadav
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Following an exceptional performance at the World Cup 2015 Down Under- where he bagged 18 wickets, Umesh Yadav will be keen to carry forward his form into Tests. Yadav has played seven of his 12 Tests away from the sub-continent, bagging 25 off his 43 wickets away from home. He, however, has been guilty of being an exciting pacer albeit an inconsistent one as well. However, the Nagpur-born 27-year-old speedster has shown signs of improvement over the years. Putting his forgettable IPL 2015 outings behind, Yadav will be keen to recharge his batteries and come back strongly in the one-off Test v Bangladesh.
Ravichandran Ashwin
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Ravichandran Ashwin enjoyed a lot of success in the World Cup 2015. Despite competition from a rejuvenated Harbhajan Singh, Ashwin will be the bigger menace for Bangladesh to deal with in spin-friendly conditions at home. The Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium has hosted just one Test so far - between Australia and Bangladesh in 2005. Out of the 37 wickets that fell in that game, 24 were bagged by spinners, with Aussie leg-spinner Stuart MacGill and Bangladesh offie Mohammad Rafique picking up nine wickets each. With the threat of Ashwin and Harbhajan operating in tandem, the signs are ominous for the home side.