BSS, Chattogram :
Bangladesh want to get them back into the winning way when they take on Afghanistan in the lone Test match, beginning today at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. Bangladesh Television and Gazi TV will telecast the match live.
The match starts at 10 am.
Bangladesh lost their last two Test matches to New Zealand before the third and last match of the series was called off following a terrorist attack in two
mosques in Christchurch.
After that they though won tri-nation series in Ireland, involving the hosts and the West Indies and made a good start to World Cup, they slipped miserably to lose last five ODIs at a stretch and the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka.
In T20 International also, they lost their last series to West Indies. In addition, the aged level team also couldn’t do well, leaving Bangladesh in gasped situation.
The Afghanistan Test gives them the chance to make amend of those defeats as captain Shakib Al Hasan emphasized on winning the match to quell any kind of tension.
“Winning the match is important, no matter we win it by one run or 100 runs,” Shakib said in pre-match conference on Wednesday.
“Overall our cricket hasn’t been in a winning moment right at this moment. Whether it is national team or academy team or other teams we haven’t been in winning touch even though Under-19 played final in England. In that sense, this match is really important. If we can win it, everything becomes normal again.”
The key behind Bangladesh’s resurgence in home Test in recent years were their spinners as the team management adopted a policy to lay a specially designed pitch for them.
It is likely that they would stick to the policy to give Afghanistan a pitch conducive to the spinners despite the fact that Afghanistan also boasted a world class spin attack.
But Bangladesh believe that Afghan’s spinners’ lack of experience in Test cricket would be exposed at some point of the game, which is why they are unfazed by the Rashid Khan and company.
Afghanistan spinners had already showed their prowess in the two-day practice match against BCB XI in which Rashid Khan and young spin sensation Zahir Khan tore apart the local batsmen.
Emboldened by their spinners’ performance, Afghanistan looks to play fire with fire, fielding four spinners to counter Bangladesh’s four-pronged spin attack.
Afghanistan coach Andy Moles admitted them to be underdog in the Test, but warned Bangladesh against to take them for granted, saying that they know a victory could change the cricketing landscape of Afghanistan.
Since getting the Test status in 2000, Bangladesh played 114 Test matches, won 13, last six of which came after 2016. They lost 85 matches and settled for draw in 16 matches, mostly of which courtesy to rain.
Afghanistan played just two Test matches after getting the status last year. They conceded an innings and 262 runs loss to India in their inaugural Test before beating Ireland by seven wickets in their adopted venue in Dehradun in India.
This will be however Bangladesh’s first Test in which they would go, wearing the jersey with name and number at the advent of the World Test Championship. The match is not included in Bangladesh World Cup Championship game but like the jersey trial, the match is also a trial for them in gaining the confidence ahead of their two-match series against India.
Bangladesh Squad: Shadman Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Mahmudullah Riyad, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraj, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Abu Jayed Rahi, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat.
Bangladesh want to get them back into the winning way when they take on Afghanistan in the lone Test match, beginning today at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. Bangladesh Television and Gazi TV will telecast the match live.
The match starts at 10 am.
Bangladesh lost their last two Test matches to New Zealand before the third and last match of the series was called off following a terrorist attack in two
mosques in Christchurch.
After that they though won tri-nation series in Ireland, involving the hosts and the West Indies and made a good start to World Cup, they slipped miserably to lose last five ODIs at a stretch and the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka.
In T20 International also, they lost their last series to West Indies. In addition, the aged level team also couldn’t do well, leaving Bangladesh in gasped situation.
The Afghanistan Test gives them the chance to make amend of those defeats as captain Shakib Al Hasan emphasized on winning the match to quell any kind of tension.
“Winning the match is important, no matter we win it by one run or 100 runs,” Shakib said in pre-match conference on Wednesday.
“Overall our cricket hasn’t been in a winning moment right at this moment. Whether it is national team or academy team or other teams we haven’t been in winning touch even though Under-19 played final in England. In that sense, this match is really important. If we can win it, everything becomes normal again.”
The key behind Bangladesh’s resurgence in home Test in recent years were their spinners as the team management adopted a policy to lay a specially designed pitch for them.
It is likely that they would stick to the policy to give Afghanistan a pitch conducive to the spinners despite the fact that Afghanistan also boasted a world class spin attack.
But Bangladesh believe that Afghan’s spinners’ lack of experience in Test cricket would be exposed at some point of the game, which is why they are unfazed by the Rashid Khan and company.
Afghanistan spinners had already showed their prowess in the two-day practice match against BCB XI in which Rashid Khan and young spin sensation Zahir Khan tore apart the local batsmen.
Emboldened by their spinners’ performance, Afghanistan looks to play fire with fire, fielding four spinners to counter Bangladesh’s four-pronged spin attack.
Afghanistan coach Andy Moles admitted them to be underdog in the Test, but warned Bangladesh against to take them for granted, saying that they know a victory could change the cricketing landscape of Afghanistan.
Since getting the Test status in 2000, Bangladesh played 114 Test matches, won 13, last six of which came after 2016. They lost 85 matches and settled for draw in 16 matches, mostly of which courtesy to rain.
Afghanistan played just two Test matches after getting the status last year. They conceded an innings and 262 runs loss to India in their inaugural Test before beating Ireland by seven wickets in their adopted venue in Dehradun in India.
This will be however Bangladesh’s first Test in which they would go, wearing the jersey with name and number at the advent of the World Test Championship. The match is not included in Bangladesh World Cup Championship game but like the jersey trial, the match is also a trial for them in gaining the confidence ahead of their two-match series against India.
Bangladesh Squad: Shadman Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Mahmudullah Riyad, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraj, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Abu Jayed Rahi, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat.
