India will look to get back into Test match groove when they face Bangladesh from Wednesday, but the fact that this is just a one-off Test match should temper those preparations a little.
Ahead of a busy autumn-winter, India have squeezed in this series against Bangladesh with one Test match followed by a three-match one-day series.
The fact that Bangladesh are not to be taken lightly anymore has been shown by the strong squad that the selectors named for this tour, be that for the Test match or the subsequent ODI series.
Virat Kohli was handed the captaincy reigns rather hurriedly in that tour of Australia last year, and having had plenty of time to think about being the leader of the five-day India team now, how Kohli fares will be interesting to watch.
India will also be happy to find themselves in more familiar sub-continental conditions, having played pretty much all of their Test matches in the last couple of years overseas.
It is never easy winning matches in England, South Africa, New Zealand or Australia, and while Bangladesh have made tremendous strides in the recent past, the five-day game should be India's to lose.
Bangladesh will hope they can carry their ODI form – they did whitewash Pakistan recently after all -- into the Test format, something a lot of teams have struggled to do in the sport's history.
The true test of a team is via a Test match, and if Bangladesh can compete against this India side, who are a serious force to reckon with when it comes to conditions that favour them, then it will be another major step towards being a competitive team across all formats.
They have the personnel to make a real game of it, with quick bowlers aplenty coming through, while Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, who might only be able to take part in the match as a batsman, are two world-class talents.
Mahmudullah came of age in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, while Soumya Sarkar has shown a few times what a talent he is. Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes also had a decent Test against Pakistan recently, even if the home team fell away in the second Test match.
This time, though, with there being only one Test, who knows, a brilliant couple of sessions for Bangladesh, and India might just be staring at a hole too deep to get out of.
If India play to their potential, however, this should be a comfortable win for Kohli's men, even without that cool, calm and efficient presence of MS Dhoni.
Test Match Schedule: 10-14 June (10 am local time, 9.30 am IST, 5 am BST, 12 am ET): Bangladesh vs India at Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah.
