India vs Bangladesh: We'll try to be aggressive and win 1st Test, says KL Rahul

India's stand-in skipper KL Rahul has stated that his team will take an aggressive approach in the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.

The two-match Test series, starting from Wednesday, is going to be a part of the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) and a place in the final is still up for grabs. Team India is currently placed fourth in the points table, with Australia and South Africa the top two teams at present. However, a win in the series against Bangladesh could put the 2021 finalists back on the track to the final.

A 2-0 victory in the series will take India's PCT (%) to 58.92%, meaning they will be hovering over South Africa, who are scheduled to take on Australia in a three-match series starting December 17th.

The last Test played in Chattogram, which was between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, was a high-scoring draw, but with a positive result being the need of the hour for the touring side, Rahul vowed that India will come out all guns blazing, trying to get a result from the contest.

"You won't go in with any set mindset. You look at numbers and take certain pointers from that. We'll go out there, try and be aggressive and try and get a result. The game is played over five days so it'll be important to break it down into smaller targets and try and achieve that. Every session the demand of the team will be different, so we'll assess that. One thing is for sure, you'll see a lot of aggressive cricket from our side," Rahul said in the pre-match press conference on Monday.

Bangladesh are placed bottom in the WTC 2022-23 standings with just one win from 10 matches, but Rahul attested that his side won't take the upcoming series lightly even for one moment.

"We always look at the opposition the same way, regardless of who they are. At this level, every team is the best from that country. The bowlers that we come up against will always be challenging. They have some quality bowlers and that's the challenge of playing Test cricket," Rahul said.

Since July, India have played as many as 46 international matches, but out of those, only one has been a Test: the rescheduled fifth Test against England at Edgbaston. Therefore, there could be minor concerns over India being rusty in the red-ball game, given the clear lack of practice over the months.

Referring to the same, Rahul insisted that it'll be key for all players to try and do the basics right.

"Obviously you've got to try to go back to the basics. For us as a team we've played a lot of Test match cricket, it's about reminding ourselves what we did and we did well. It's about trying to repeat that. Each time we play a different format, it's a challenge - the mindspace the individuals are in will be different.

"As a leader, it's important to back the players and let them make their own decisions. We know that every player will turn up and will try to do their best for the team and country. It's important that we also enjoy our cricket and not think too much. 'What is it we're required to do as a team, and what is it we're required to do as individuals to win the game for the team' - we try to get into this mindset and do our best," added Rahul in the same conference.

One of the players who'll unsurprisingly be the centre of attraction when India take field on Wednesday is Virat Kohli, who hasn't had the best of times in the five-day format over the last three years, averaging 27.25 in 18 Tests. Kohli's last Test century is now over three years old and interestingly, it had come against Bangladesh back in November 2019.

Rahul, however, rubbished concerns over Kohli's form in Tests and stated that he expects the veteran to get back to his best, just how he did in both ODIs and T20Is. Kohli will be heading into the first Test on the back of the century he scored in the third ODI between India and Bangladesh, which the Men in Blue won by 227 runs.

"He has been in good form, has done well for us in T20 cricket and you saw recently he got the hundred against Bangladesh. So, obviously, he will take some confidence into the Test matches. You know he has been around for so long, such an experienced player. He knows what to do and he has always had his mindset. His attitude has always remained the same.

"The passion he has for the game, for his team, the commitment he gives to his team has been on show for everyone to see. So you can't really question that and he is a great player. He has always found a way to get runs and do the job for his team and I'm sure that he will do that again," said Rahul.

Shubman Gill getting better at his game, says KL Rahul

Rahul will be leading India in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who returned to India after injuring his left thumb during the second ODI. With no Rohit, 23-year-old Shubman Gill will be opening India's innings with Rahul.

"I think Shubman's been a brilliant player and how he's getting better at his game is just wonderful to see. In Tests, whenever he's gotten the opportunity, he's done the job for the team. He is young but he's got the temperament for the longer format. I'm sure he'll be excited about this opportunity and will be keen to do a job for the team.

"All we can do is back young players, exciting players and give them the platform to enjoy the big stage. That's what Gill has been doing: enjoying the big stage," Rahul said.