"I personally don't think that Bangladesh will give India a tough time" - Dinesh Karthik predicts a routine clean sweep for the Men in Blue

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik does not feel that Bangladesh can trouble India despite their recent heroics against Pakistan. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side are coming into the two-match Test series on the back of a historic whitewash against Pakistan away from home.

Bangladesh are yet to beat India in a red-ball contest, with 11 losses and two draws to date. However, the Men in Blue had a tricky time during the last red-ball series against Bangladesh, managing a win by only three wickets in Dhaka to avoid a major upset.

Despite Bangladesh's red-ball rise in recent times, which also includes home and away Test wins over New Zealand, beating India in India is a whole different task. The Men in Blue last lost a series on home soil back in 2012, and have never lost multiple matches in a series since then.

"I personally don't think that Bangladesh will give India a tough time. Beating India in India is a humongous task, and although Bangladesh has played well in Pakistan, I don't believe they'll trouble India much," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

Team India have commenced the preparation for the series, which also kickstarts their home season. The likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have joined the team following a lengthy break since the Sri Lanka tour.

"I get the feeling India's going to play on slightly pace-oriented pitches" - Dinesh Karthik

Karthik also made an early prediction regarding India's bowling combination for the Test series. He feels India might go with three seamers in the playing XI in a bid to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar series, and not allow Bangladesh to have a say with their spin attack.

Should India feature only two spinners in their playing XI, it might result in both Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel missing out. The prospect of a third seamer in the mix could lead to Akash Deep getting another shot or Yash Dayal making his debut.

"I get the feeling India's going to play on slightly pace-oriented pitches, knowing that it's a good way to beat Bangladesh. Also, they will be preparing for the Australian Test series. I think they will only play with two spinners—Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja—followed by three fast bowlers," Karthik said in the same interview.

The series opener, slated to begin from September 19 onwards, will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, one of the most spin-friendly venues in India. Furthermore, the Bangladesh seam bowling attack is in excellent rhythm, with the pair of Nahid Rana and Hasan Mahmud wreaking havoc in the second Test against Pakistan.