Bangladesh will take on visiting Sri Lanka in the 1st Test of the two-match series at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong today (Wednesday).
The match will begin at9:30 am(Bangladesh time) where Mahmudullah Riyad will stand in to lead the lead the Tigers’ as their regular skipper all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan ruled out from the squad due to finger injury what he suffered during the final of the Tri-nation series on January 27.
The 31-year old Mahmudullah will lead his country for the first time in Test cricket and he will also be expected to provide vital runs from the middle order. He topped Bangladesh’s batting averages on the tour of South Africa late last October, hitting an impressive 66 against a formidable attack in tricky conditions in Potchefstroom.
The former Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim was in good form during the tri-nation series, as well as during Bangladesh’s last Test home series against Australia. With 58 Test matches under his belt, Rahim’s experience will be crucial as the middle-order talisman in Shakib’s absence.
Having won the tri-nation ODI series, defeating Bangladesh in the final, Sri Lanka will carry some confidence into a challenging Test series.
The Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal enjoyed good recent Test form, having scored a century (164) in his last match, against India in Delhi. That knock came in a pressurised situation, with India having racked up 536/7 declared, and he will hope to lead from the front once again versus Bangladesh. He and the ex-captain Angelo Mathews will be the key wickets for the hosts.
Bangladesh’s last Test series was not a happy experience, as they were comprehensively beaten in South Africa, but they can take comfort from their home record. They have drawn with Australia and England in their two previous home series, claiming a first-ever Test match victory against each.
Bangladesh made their 100th Test match memorable celebrating a four-wicket victory against Sri Lanka at P Sara Oval, Colombo in their last meeting in March 2017.
The Tigers’ have poor record against Sri Lanka, having one win and two draws against 15 losses among their 18 Test encounters, since September 2001.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) drafted the squad for the 1st Test recalling veteran left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak with the inclusion of three uncapped faces — off-spinner Naeem Hasan, left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam and leg-break bowler Tanbir Hayder – meaning that the Tigers’ focusing on spin strength to handle the bowling department.
Bangladesh Squad: Liton Kumar Das, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Mosaddek Hossain, Naeem Hasan, Sunzamul Islam and Tanbir Hayder.
Sri Lanka Squad: Dimuth Karunaratne, Dilruwan Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal(captain), Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage, Lakshan Sandakan, Kusal Mendis, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananjaya, Lahiru Kumara and Danushka Gunathilaka.
