In a rare feat, the visiting Bangladesh team won the toss and elected to bowl first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday (September 19). While there was a bit of moisture on the surface and India captain Rohit Sharma also said that he would elected to bowl first, the decision to bowl first by Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto made it only the ninth instance of a team inviting India to bat first in a Test match played on Indian soil.

However, in the previous eight instances of the opposition team inviting India to bat first in a Test match in India, only Australia have managed to emerge victorious twice- once in 1969 and the other time in 2001. Having said that, Hasan Mahmud's spell in the first session of Day 1 is already proving this to be the right call made by the Bangladesh management with his four-wicket haul reducing the hosts to 144/6, removing all of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.

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Bangladesh are fresh off a historic Test series win over Pakistan and the way they have started in Chennai will give them the confidence of pulling off something special against India- an opposition they have never beaten in the longest format of the match.

List Of Test Matches Where Teams Have Elected To Bowl First In A Test In Match In India

 
Team Result Margin Toss Opposition Venue Date
Bangladesh - - won vs India Chennai 19 Sep 2024
Sri Lanka draw - won vs India Kolkata 16 Nov 2017
Australia won 10 wickets won vs India Mumbai 27 Feb 2001
New Zealand draw - won vs India Mohali 10 Oct 1999
Sri Lanka draw - won vs India Mumbai 3 Dec 1997
Pakistan draw - won vs India Kolkata 11 Feb 1987
England draw - won vs India Chennai 13 Jan 1982
West Indies draw - won vs India Wankhede 1 Dec 1978
Australia won 10 wickets won vs India Kolkata 12 Dec 1969