The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) had announced India's 16-man squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh, on Sunday, September 8.
However, noticeably, there were two key absentees in the Test squad. Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami were not selected for the upcoming Test match against Bangladesh.
The first Test of the two-match series between India and Bangladesh is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 19, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai.
The fans will be able to purchase tickets for the first Test from September 9 online. Here are all the details on how to buy the tickets.
Get ready to watch and bet on the thrilling Test cricket action during the IND vs BAN series!
Why was Shreyas Iyer not selected for the India vs Bangladesh 1st Test Match?
While the BCCI has not officially given a reason for Iyer's non-section in the India squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, his exclusion does not come as a surprise to many.
As a middle order batter, Iyer has a good reputation in the 50-over format, and he also scored a half-century for India D in the recent Duleep Trophy match against India C.
However, he has been very inconsistent in the red-ball format in recent times and had also failed to deliver the ODIs against Sri Lanka during his first series under new head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Iyer had scores of 23, 7 and 8 in the three-match ODI series, which India ended up losing 0-2.
MORE: Which bowler has dismissed Virat Kohli the most?
How has Shreyas Iyer performed in Test Cricket since 2023?
In his 12 Test innings since 2023, Iyer has averaged a mere 17.00 runs per inning and has not recorded any fifty plus score during this period.
Interestingly, all of his poor performances in recent matches came against three of the top Test cricket nations in Australia, England, and South Africa.
It is shocking output for a batter of his caliber and given that there is a plenty of competition for Indian team's middle order role, including KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan and potentially Musheer Khan.
| Matches | Inning | Runs | Average | Highest | 50s | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 12 | 187 | 17.00 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
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Shreyas Iyer's record against different oppositions in Test cricket
The table below highlights Iyer's performance against different oppositions in Test Cricket during his career: (ranked from the best average to worst average):
| Opposition | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Highest | 50s | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 2 | 3 | 202 | 101.00 | 87 | 2 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 3 | 186 | 62.00 | 92 | 2 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 4 | 202 | 50.50 | 105 | 1 | 1 |
| England | 3 | 6 | 138 | 23.00 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| South Africa | 3 | 4 | 42 | 13.66 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Australia | 3 | 4 | 42 | 10.50 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 14 | 24 | 811 | 36.86 | 105 | 5 | 1 |
It is point of worry for the Indian team if he continues to fail against major Test cricket nations, considering their back-to-back losses in the World Test Championship finals against New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2022.
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Why is Mohammed Shami excluded from the India vs Bangladesh Test series?
As reported earlier by The Sporting News, Shami was not considered to be fit to play in either the Duleep Trophy or the Test series against Bangladesh due to an injury that he had suffered during the ODI World Cup in 2023.
The Indian management did not want to rush the fast bowler as he is still continuing his rehabilitation from an ankle surgery.
Depending on Shami's fitness progression, he might be asked to play the Ranji Trophy and play the third Test against New Zealand or alternatively, travel with the India A team to Australia, to play two four-day practice matches on October 31 and November 7, ahead of the much awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy series against the Aussies.
A BCCI source had reportedly told the Indian Express about Shami's return, saying that "it will be a step-by-step process and Australia tour is the ultimate goal."
MORE: IND vs BAN 1st Test: How will India lineup at Chennai?
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