The Indian squad for the Bangladesh series was announced on Saturday as a 16 member strong contingent will travel to Chennai for the first Test. Jasprit Bumrah will be in action for the first time since the completion of the T20 World Cup 2024 while Rishabh pant also earned a callup to the Test team.

Among other notable additions, Yash Dayal has been rewarded with a place while Akash Deep also was included in the squad. Mohammed Shami is still working on his match fitness which means Jasprit Bumrah would need a fast bowling partner alongside Mohammed Siraj.

Former BCCI president and Indian captain Sourav Ganguly backed Akash Deep to shine for the country. Ganguly insisted the Bengal pacer can be at par with Shami and Siraj and can generate serious pace.

During an event in Kolkata, he said, "Akash Deep is an outstanding young fast bowler. He runs in, bowls quick, and will bowl for long periods. He is fit, I've seen him play for Bengal over a long period of time, taking wickets. He will be as quick as Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, hitting high 140s. He is one to watch out for."

India currently top the World Test Championship and will resume the campaign with a two match Test series against Bangladesh. Ganguly further added India do have a very good team and the four spinners are the best in the world.

"In India, you will see a lot more spin. In Chennai, you will see a lot more bounce. Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar, and Kuldeep are the four best spinners in the world at the moment - it won't be easy. When you play in India, spinners have a lot more say in the game. But India are a very good team,"

Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Cricket, Sports and around the world.