The BAN vs IND Test Series 2022 is all set to begin on Wednesday, December 14, when the two sides will face off against each other for the first match. The series is massively important for the Indian team, as they will compete in order to improve their position in the standings in their quest for the 2021-2023 ICC Test Championship’s final next year. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have a realistically slim chance of improving its current position in the points table. The Tigers will therefore play the series to improve their overall performance in the longer-version format.
What’s the current scenario for the 2021–2023 ICC Test Championship?
The second edition of the ICC Test Championship has reached its business end. Nine teams have competed in the two-year-long tournament. Teams with realistic chances of reaching the final next year may find that their remaining fixtures are do-or-die affairs. In that regard, the BAN vs IND Test Series 2022 is critical for the fourth-placed Indian side.
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The Indian side has six matches in hand, including the series against Bangladesh. By looking at the current scenario of the 2021–2023 ICC Test Championship points table and the remaining fixtures, India can’t afford to lose points against Bangladesh in the upcoming series.
The Indian side will take on Australia for a 4-match series at home after this one. Since Australia are one of the top contenders for next year’s championship match, the Indian campaign shouldn’t expect to fully dominate the series. India's primary goal in the away series against Bangladesh will therefore be to capture all 24 points.
The host country of the series, Bangladesh, are currently in the bottom position in the points table with only 13.33 PCT. The Tigers' one major victory so far in the ongoing Test Championship has come against New Zealand earlier this year in Mount Maunganui, where they thumped the Kiwi side by 8 wickets.
Apart from that historic victory, Bangladesh’s journey in the 2021–2023 ICC Test Championship has been unsatisfactory. They have conceded defeats in eight matches, won one game, and drawn another against Sri Lanka. In the majority of the matches, Bangladesh suffered huge defeats, showing their shortcomings in the longer-version format.
With only two matches left in the second edition of the Test Championship, Bangladesh have practically no chance of improving their current position in the points standings. They are most likely to finish at the bottom of the standings. The Bangladesh campaign, therefore, will be hoping to improve their performance level in the Test format during the India series.
Among the other teams, Australia are currently holding the top spot with 75 PCT. The Australian side’s participation in the second edition of the Test Championship’s final is almost confirmed, as they have seven matches still in hand.
South Africa and Sri Lanka are in second and third positions, respectively, in the points table and fighting for a place in the final. But the Proteas side has more games in hand than Sri Lanka, and they seem to be the main rival for India in their quest for the final berth.
Pakistan, England, the West Indies, and New Zealand are currently in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth positions, respectively, and they are unlikely to make the final.
ICC Test Championship 2021-2023 Points Standings
| Position | Team | Win | Loss | Draw | Points | PCT (%) |
| 1 | Australia | 8 | 1 | 3 | 108 | 75 |
| 2 | South Africa | 6 | 4 | 0 | 72 | 60 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 5 | 4 | 1 | 64 | 53.33 |
| 4 | India | 6 | 4 | 2 | 75 | 52.08 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 4 | 4 | 2 | 56 | 46.67 |
| 6 | England | 8 | 8 | 4 | 100 | 41.67 |
| 7 | West Indies | 4 | 5 | 2 | 54 | 40.91 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 2 | 6 | 1 | 28 | 25.93 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 1 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 13.33 |
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Bangladesh vs India Test Series 2022: Full Fixtures
The first match of the series will take place at the ZACS in Chattogram on December 14, and the second game will be played at the SBNCS in Mirpur starting on December 22.
1st Test: 14-18 December | Venue: ZACS, Chattogram | Start Time: 9.30 a.m.
2nd Test: 22-26 December | Venue: SBNCS, Dhaka | Start Time: 9.30 a.m.
IND vs BAN Test Series 2022: Venues Statistic
The venues for the Bangladesh-India Test series are the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram and the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Here are the noteworthy Test statistics for both grounds.
ZACS, Chattogram
Test Matches: 22 | Highest team total (innings): 713/9d | Lowest team total (innings): 119 | Batting first won: 8 | Batting second won: 7 | Highest individual innings: 319 | Best bowling figure (innings): 7/36
SBNCS, Dhaka
Test Matches: 23 | Highest team total (innings): 730/6d | Lowest team total (innings): 87 | Batting first won: 12 | Batting second won: 8 | Highest individual innings: 226 | Best bowling figure (innings): 8/39
India vs Bangladesh: Head-to-Head Test Records
Bangladesh and India have played against each other in 11 Test matches so far. Understandably, India have dominated the head-to-head contest with nine victories. Bangladesh have yet to win a match against the Indian side, as the other two games ended in draws.
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Bangladesh and India's squads for the bilateral Test Series 2022
Bangladesh’s premier opening batter, Tamim Iqbal, missed the ODI series due to a groin injury. The left-handed batter will also miss the Test Series because he is currently undergoing rehabilitation to ensure a full recovery.
With the exception of Tamim Iqbal, all the expected names for the Indian series were included. The only newcomer who received his first call-up for the Test setup is wicket-keeper batter Zakir Hasan. Shakib Al Hasan will captain the Test side against India.
Bangladesh Squad
Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Litton Das (vice-captain, wicket-keeper), Khaled Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan, Zakir Hasan (wicket-keeper), Ebadot Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicket-keeper), Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper), Rejaur Rahman Raja, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam
India will be aiming to seal the series against Bangladesh with a dominant performance. That is why the BCCI selectors announced a strong Test squad for this 2-match series. The only player who will miss the series is Mohammad Shami, due to a shoulder injury. Left-arm medium pacer Jaydev Unadkat has been called up to replace the injured Shami. Besides, Abhimanyu Easwaran was included as a backup for skipper Rohit Sharma.
India Squad
Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain, wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, K. S. Bharat (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Axar Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav
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Bottom Line
India must defeat Bangladesh in both games to remain steadfast in its pursuit of the ICC Test Championship final. As a result, the Bangladesh team should be ready to face an aggressive Indian team during the BAN vs IND Test Series 2022. Bangladesh have little to gain from the Test Championship, and therefore the cricketers must concentrate on improving their performance in the longer-version format during the series.