NEW DELHI: Former Indian all-rounder Suresh Raina has cautioned against underestimating Bangladesh in the upcoming Test series, emphasizing the Asian side's potent spin attack.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Legends League Cricket event, Raina highlighted the series as crucial preparation for India's tour of Australia for the
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
.
"Now, a team for Tests will be formed.
Top players playing
Duleep Trophy
is a nice initiative by the BCCI. You get to know a lot of things when you play red-ball cricket," said Raina, as quoted by ANI.
He lauded the BCCI's initiative to include top international stars and emerging talents in the tournament, scheduled to commence on September 5th.
"You cannot take Bangladesh lightly as they have a fine spin bowling attack and some good players who have done well for a long time. This series will be a fine match practice for the tour to Australia," added the former India international.
The upcoming domestic season holds significant weight for Indian cricket, with the two-match Test series against Bangladesh from September 19th serving as a litmus test ahead of the three-match series against New Zealand in October.
These series are crucial for India's preparations for the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year.
Raina specifically highlighted Bangladesh's spin prowess, singling out the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Mahedi Hasan as potential threats.
Shifting focus to India's recent
T20 World Cup
triumph, Raina reserved special praise for wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, commending Pant's unwavering work ethic, positive mentality, and determination.
"The way he practises, he is doing very good wicket-keeping, he has batted very well and when you win the World Cup you know how much fun it is," added Raina.
Pant finished as India's third-highest run-scorer and set a new record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a single T20 World Cup, playing a pivotal role in ending India's 13-year ICC trophy drought.
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