India have been brilliant, dominating teams at home in the longer format of the game under the leadership of Virat Kohli, who has led his team from the front. India have showed their class against world-class opponents such as England and New Zealand off late, and Kohli's team will hope for a repeat performance in the one-off Test in Hyderabad against Bangladesh, which starts on Thursday.
India vs England full squads for one-off Test
Agreed, India have been stupendous against the likes of New Zealand and England, but make no bones about it, Bangladesh can defeat India if they get their act together. Bangladesh are a team from the sub-continent, and they know the conditions much better than India's prior opponents, which makes up for a thrilling Test.
With both nations possessing some quality players including some wonderful spinners, fans at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal could be treated to a quality contest.
Here is a look at key players for the one-off Test
India
Virat Kohli
The India skipper has been in impressive form in the Test arena, and if Kohli scores big, India should be in a comfortable position. His ability to play both the spinners and seamers at ease is what makes him a world-class batsman. The right-hander will not only have to shine with the bat, but also make some wise bowling changes and help their bowlers deliver the goods as well.
Ravichandran Ashwin
The off-spinner has already spoken about how he loves the playing surface in Hyderabad, which will provide more bounce. If there is some good turn and add to that bounce, Bangladesh players, who might be good players of spin, will find themselves in trouble, and Ashwin might be looking to add another 10-wicket haul in his international career.
Murali Vijay
In Test matches, openers always play an important role as they entrusted with the job of seeing off the new ball. However, India openers have been inconsistent, which is a major problem. Though Vijay scored a wonderful ton against England in Mumbai, he has not been giving those kind of starts, which India want from him. The right-hander will be under pressure to give India a solid start and provide a solid platform for the middle-order players.
Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal
The left-hander might have failed in the New Zealand tour, where the ball did move a bit, but when it comes to the sub-continental conditions, he is a dangerous batsman. Tamim is someone, who can destroy the India bowling line up if he decides to play in an aggressive manner. The opener has all the experience in the world to see off the new ball, and allow their rest of the batsmen to prosper while facing the old ball.
Shakib Al Hasan
Irrespective of the pitch and the team he is playing against, Shakib always holds the key for Bangladesh with his brilliant all-round skills. Coming into bat in the middle order, he can bring all his experience to play according to the situation and score runs, while his slow left-arm can pose problems to the India batsmen. This all-rounder is the biggest threat for India in the one-off Test.
Mehedi Hasan
The 19-year-old has already created ripples in world cricket, taking 23 wickets in his four matches. There is no doubt about the off-spinner's talent, but he has only bowled to English and New Zealand players, hence this Test against India will be his biggest test. India are wonderful players of spin, and it will be exciting to see if the youngster can find ways to trouble the Indian batsmen consistently. If he can, this one-off match will give him confidence to excel against quality opposition in world cricket.
