Ravichandran Ashwin Lauds Bangladesh's Rising Cricket Prowess

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised Bangladesh's cricket team for their recent series win against Pakistan, highlighting their rapid rise in international cricket. Ashwin is eager for the upcoming series between India and Bangladesh, recognizing Bangladesh's growing proficiency. The series' second match will be held in Kanpur.

Indian star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hailed the performance of the Bangladesh cricket team, showing admiration for their recent triumph against Pakistan, a victory that has sent waves through the cricketing community. With Rohit Sharma leading the Indian side, both teams are set to compete in a two-match series.

The second match is scheduled to take place in Kanpur. Ashwin acknowledged Bangladesh's impressive performance, emphasizing their rapid ascent in international cricket.

"They have put their hand up and said, 'look, we are a team on the rise and we are playing wonderful cricket,'" Ashwin stated ahead of the match. His comments came after viewing some clips of the Pakistan series, which were not broadcast live in India, yet sufficiently showcased Bangladesh's prowess.

"I am one of those guys who loves to see the underdog come out and perform. You can't call them an underdog anymore; they have played some wonderful cricket," he added. This victory is particularly significant as it underscores Bangladesh's ability to compete at the highest levels.

Their recent whitewash of Pakistan on their own turf is part of a consistent display of skill, demonstrated previously in their challenging performances against India in Bangladesh. "They challenged us in Bangladesh when we were there last time," Ashwin noted.

Ashwin's praise further solidifies the growing respect for the Bangladeshi team on the global stage. He expressed anticipation for future clashes with Bangladesh.

"Really looking forward to a good series," he said, expecting high-quality cricket from the emerging team. Earlier, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and opted to bowl first against India at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.

"I'd like to bowl first. There's moisture on the wicket and we want to make use of it. The pitch looks hard and there's moisture. The first session will be very good for the seamers. The way we played that series (against Pakistan), we are confident. This is a new series, we'll have to follow our processes. It's a good mixture of experience and youth. We will go with three seamers and two spin allrounders," Shanto said after winning the toss. Indian captain Rohit Sharma also expressed a preference to bowl first had he won the toss.

India is deploying three seamers due to the overcast conditions in Chennai. "I would have done that as well (bowl first). Little soft, the pitch. It's going to be challenging conditions. We have prepared well, so we should back our potential and play the way we know. Looking at the 10 Test matches, every match is important. But we want to focus on what lies in front of us. We came here a week back, we had a good prep leading up to this one. We feel confident. Three seamers and two spinners - Bumrah, Akash Deep, Siraj, Ashwin and Jadeja," Rohit said.

Bangladesh's playing XI includes Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (wicketkeeper), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana. India's playing XI comprises Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, and Mohammed Siraj.

(With inputs from agencies.)