(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Spoilt for choice with a pool of top quality performers in their ranks, formidable India are overwhelming favourites against minnows Bangladesh in a proverbial 'David vs Goliath' one-off cricket Test that starts here on Thursday.
On paper, it is the 'Battle of Unequals' with the world number one taking on the ninth ranked side, but in this game of glorious uncertainties, rankings often go for a toss.
For Bangladesh, it is a historic moment as they are playing a Test match on Indian soil for the first time but for the hosts, it will be more about maintaining the momentum they have acquired by winning seven out of the eight matches against comparatively better sides like New Zealand and England.
But when it comes to playing the game wearing whites flannels, Bangladesh have not been able to replicate their performances in white ball cricket in which they have been different beasts altogether.
That they have managed to lose a match against New Zealand as recently as last month, after scoring nearly 550 in the first innings, shows that even after 16 years in the five-day circuit, they have not been able to decode the winning formula.
The last time India played Bangladesh in a one-off Test at Fatullah, it was the rain God that came to the rescue of the 'Tigers' as their fans affectionately call them. Worse they don't have a bowler of Mustafizur Rahaman's calibre in the team, someone who knew this ground well enough.
All these statistical nuggets make India runaway favourites, and they would be aiming to close the deal within four days in what could turn out to be a pretty one-sided affair, considering the composition of the teams.
The Indian team does have its share of 'happy problems' as they have a number of players who can walk into the playing XI, but skipper Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble will have to tread the tricky path.
Comeback man Abhinav Mukund will have to wait unless something happens to two regular openers.
While the top four batsmen KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and the captain himself are automatic selections, the tricky part starts post the number four slot.
Having achieved the distinction of being only the second Test triple centurion from India, Karun Nair has earned his stripes, but will have to pave the way for Ajinkya Rahane in the playing XI on Thursday.
Kohli made it clear in the pre-match press conference that Rahane, at whose expense Nair was picked to play the final Test against England after the former suffered an injury, is their preferred choice.
Kohli made it clear that Karun Nair's one triple hundred cannot 'overshadow' the two years of consistent performance by his deputy Ajinkya Rahane who now 'walks back' into the playing XI as a fully fit player.
Rahane didn't have a great series against England and was out with a fractured hand but is now going to be picked ahead of Nair for the one-off Test starting on Thursday.
'See, I feel one game doesn't overshadow two years of hard work from another player. You need to understand what 'Jinx' (nickname) has done for the team over the past two years. He averages almost 50 in the format and he is probably most solid batsman in our team in the Test format,' said Kohli on Wednesday as he ended speculation on who will bat at No.5.
Young Nair is expected to go down as one of the rarest players after Englishman Andy Sandham, who scored 325 against West Indies at Kingston in 1925, to be dropped from the very next game. In Sandham's case, he was 40 at that time and never subsequently played a Test match.
But Kohli made it clear that the triple century has helped Karun seal a spot in the squad which is a no mean feat.
'Karun was stepping into his (Rahane's) shoes and what he did was remarkable, sealing his spot as far as the squad is concerned. That was something that Karun did. As I said you can't overlook Ajinkya's two years of hard work on basis of one Test match. He (Rahane) deserves to walk back into the team whenever he got fit. That's my take on it,' he said.
One of the rare Indian captains, who does not believe in keeping things vague, Kohli also made it clear that chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav may have to wait a bit longer as they have a core set of four spinners - Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, and Amit Mishra - in Test format now.
'In future, I don't know how will things shape up but right now our four spinners are pretty much set and Mishy has been doing really well but unfortunately he had his little injury, so Kuldeep comes in. But he will stay in our scheme of things with 2/3 other spinners whom we have targeted,' said Kohli as he felt that Yadav would bring something 'different' to the table.
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