India resumed their World Test Championship campaign with over six months away from red-ball cricket, as they took on Bangladesh in the first Test of the series in Chennai on Thursday. As the team prepared for the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, the players were seen in high spirits during their practice session.
A moment from the session has now gone viral on social media platforms. During the warm-up, Virat Kohli playfully interacted with Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant; Kohli and Pant then dragged Kuldeep across the ground, as the trio began to laugh.
Watch:
While the Indian players did share light moments in their practice session, the start of the first Test was rather tense for the home side. India faced a top-order collapse in the first session, with Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0) and Virat Kohli (0) failing to cross the double figures. Bangladesh had won the toss, inviting India to bat on a pacer-friendly under overcast conditions.
{{/usCountry}}While the Indian players did share light moments in their practice session, the start of the first Test was rather tense for the home side. India faced a top-order collapse in the first session, with Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0) and Virat Kohli (0) failing to cross the double figures. Bangladesh had won the toss, inviting India to bat on a pacer-friendly under overcast conditions.
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India are eyeing a place in a third-straight WTC final, and are currently at the top of the standings. The side has 10 Tests remaining in the campaign including the ongoing match in Chennai; while five (two against Bangladesh, three against New Zealand) will be at home, the remaining five will feature in the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia Down Under.
Pant's return
Rishabh Pant returned to India's Test playing XI for the first time since December 2022 where, incidentally, his appearance was also against Bangladesh. The return completed Pant's international comeback following a near-fatal car accident days after his last Test in 2022, with the wicketkeeper-batter already making T20I and ODI appearances for the side.
Kohli, meanwhile, also makes a return to the format for the first time since 2023. He had skipped the five-Test series against England due to personal reasons. Kuldeep Yadav didn't find a place in India's XI for the opening Test, with veteran duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja taking the two spots for spinners.