Historic India-Bangladesh Test to be held in February 2017

India will play a historic one-off Test match against Bangladesh at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad from February 8 next year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday (August 3). This will be the first time Bangladesh will visit India to play in the longest format of the sport, 17 years since gaining their Test status in 2000.


Bangladesh have played just four matches against India in India so far since 1991 - three One-Day Internationals (one in 1991 and two in 1998) and an ICC World Twenty20 game earlier this year in March.
"As a leading Test-playing nation, it is BCCI's responsibility to give opportunity to every Test-playing nation. It is my pleasure to announce the historic one-off Test match against our neighbours Bangladesh early next year. This will be a great addition to our home season 2016-17," Anurag Thakur, the BCCI president, said.

Nazmul Hassan, Thakur's Bangladesh counterpart, was understandably happy with the development as well. "For the cricketers who will be representing Bangladesh and India, this will be a much anticipated game and given the competitive nature of their limited overs matches in the recent past, I believe the clash between these two cricket crazy nations will catch the imagination," he gushed.

"The long wait for us to play a Test match on Indian soil is finally over and this is a time for celebration."