EXPLAINED: Why are India playing three pacers on traditionally spin-friendly Chennai track | Cricket News

India’s decision to include three pacers in their playing XI for the opening Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh on a traditionally spin-friendly venue, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, has surprised many.
Sharing India’s playing eleven after Bangladesh won the the toss and chose to bowl on Thursday, Rohit said they have gone in with three seamers and two spinners.
FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES FROM DAY 1
Identical to India, Bangladesh have also included three pacers and two spinners in their playing eleven, which is evidence that both the skippers felt there will be something in the pitch for the pacers to exploit on the first morning.
Rohit confirmed that.
“I would have done that (bowl first) as well. It’s a 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,” said Rohit at the toss.

“Looking at the 10 Tests (two vs Bangladesh, three vs New Zealand and five on the tour of Australia), 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 – (Jasprit) Bumrah, Akash Deep, (Mohammed Siraj, (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja,” the India captain added.
Analyzing the track at the pitch report, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik said that “fast bowlers will have their say at the start”.
“It’s a day very unlike what we are used to in Chennai — very cool at the moment at 28 degrees, but as the day progresses, it promises to be 33-34 (degrees), which will be like the Chennai we all know,” said Karthik.
Bangladesh’s rookie 24-year-old pacer Hasan Mahmud proved what both the captains and Karthik felt, as he blew away India’s top order with a three-wicket burst that saw the visitors slipping to 34 for 3 inside 10 overs. Mahmud rocked the fancied Indian batting lineup with the big wickets of Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0) and Virat Kohli (6).
Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana are the other two pacers in the Bangladesh playing eleven.

THE RED SOIL PITCH
“As we speak about the pitch, it’s a red soil pitch. And what does red soil mean? Bounce, turn and as the game progresses, the big spinners come into play,” Karthik added at the pitch report “They have left a little bit of residual moisture underneath the pitch. Fast bowlers will have their say at the start.”
The overcast Chennai skies, the red-soil pitch and a relatively moist track added conviction to why both the teams felt bowling first with a pace-heavy attack will be beneficial on this track. That led to the captains including three pacers in their respective playing elevens.
India have been put in to bat first by a visiting team in a Test match on home soil for only the ninth time. Out of the previous eight occasions, six resulted in draws, while Australia secured convincing 10-wicket victories in the remaining two matches.
Interestingly, the last time India fielded a trio of fast bowlers in a home Test was also against Bangladesh. In both Tests against them in 2019, India’s pace attack comprised Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami.

Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj
Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana