India batting coach Vikram Rathour says Bangladesh Tests good practice for upcoming Australia series

India are 1-0 up in the Test series against Bangladesh, and following the conclusion of the tour, India will take on Australia at home in the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

Speaking to the media ahead of the 2nd Test, Vikram Rathour said that playing in Bangladesh, where there is help for spinners and considerable turn, would serve as a necessary practice for the Indian batters when Australia tour India, where both will encounter similar conditions.  

The Aussie Challenge At Home

“You expect wickets to turn in the sub-continent, and after this we will be playing an important series against Australia where wickets are expected to turn. So it’s good practice for us. It will be good preparation for Indian batters. We are not discussing anything tactically but looking forward to playing good cricket,” Rathour said on the eve of the second and final Test here.

The Indian batters came good in the opening Test with young opener Shubman Gill cracking his maiden century in the longest format and veteran Cheteshwar Pujara scoring a 130-ball 102 not out in the second innings, his 19th Test century after almost 4 years. Stand-in skipper KL Rahul, however, found the going tough as he was dismissed for 22 and 23, while Virat Kohli was removed by left-arm spinner Taijul Islam with a beauty in the first innings in Chattogram. The former India captain was unbeaten on 19 in the second essay.

Rathour, who had a long session with Rahul and Kohli hoped the two batters will come good in the second Test.

Asked what was he discussing with Rahul, the batting coach said: “I’m not going to get into those discussions, these discussions keep happening, a few things he was looking at and there’s nothing to be concerned about. He was just working on something. We are looking forward to both of them scoring runs. Hoping to see big innings from both Rahul and Kohli from this match,” said Vikram. 

Kohli has recently ended his long wait for an international century, first getting to the mark in the T20Is against Afghanistan and then in the ODIs against Bangladesh. Kohli is now due for a Test century which he last scored against Bangladesh in their first Day/Night Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2019.

What To Expect? 

Asked about the wicket, Rathour said: “We’re expecting this one to have a bit more bounce and turn than the previous one. We look to play according to the situation.

“We are fine whatever wicket we get. We have absolutely no issues from our side. However it plays, we have to put up as many runs as we can and put up a good score if we bat first. We batted well definitely, but we bowled really well. It was a tough surface to get 20 wickets– slow and low, especially in the second innings,” Rathour said the wicket in Chattogram was tough.

The second Test will start at 9 AM IST on Thursday, December 22.  

(Inputs PTI)

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