The BCCI has announced a 16-member squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh, and it will be a big task for Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma to pick the ideal XI. Wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant will be making his Test comeback for the first time since his horrific car accident. He has already made a sensational return to white-ball cricket in the T20 World Cup 2024, but red-ball is the format where he was the undisputed starter for India before the unfortunate accident. The wicketkeeper batter made a statement with a quick half-century in the Duleep Trophy match to announce that he is ready to own the stage in red-ball cricket once again.

Batting maestro Virat Kohli, who missed the England series for personal reasons, will also be returning to the Test team and an automatic starter in the XI. However, the team management has to take some tough calls to finalise the middle-order and bowling attack for the Chennai Test.

Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg has picked his India's XI where he made some tough calls by dropping the likes of KL Rahul and Axar Patel from his side. He went ahead with Sarfaraz Khan over Rahul and chose Rishabh Pant to keep the gloves on his return to the Test team.

“The XI that I am going to the first Test match against Bangladesh for India – Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma open the batting. Gill at three, Kohli at 4, and Jadeja coming at five just to keep that left-handed right-hand combination going. Sarfaraz Khan, Pant and then you’re into the bowlers, where you’ve got Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj, and Bumrah," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.

Brad Hogg on ideal Indian team for Australia tour

The veteran spinner further asserted that the XI he picked will also be an ideal side for the Test series against Australia Down Under.

“That team will go pretty well down in Australia as well. So, they’ve got to start warming up for the Australian summer. India, so this will be a good start for them. No KL Rahul or Axar Patel in my playing XI,” he added.

Axar has an incredible record in Test cricket with 55 scalps in 14 Test matches; he has also improved a lot as a batter, which gives the team the privilege of having a long lower-middle order. Meanwhile, Rahul has also been integral part of the Indian Test set-up for the past few years. The first Test match will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on September 19. The two teams will play the second Test in Kanpur beginning September 27.

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