It’s a quandary that grips the selection of the test eleven for the first Test today. A very interesting and intriguing situation that confronts the selectors regarding the inclusion of Mominul Haque and Nasir Hossain or both and the prospects of Imrul Kayes or Taskin Ahmed making to the final eleven.
Former National opener Ishtiaque Ahmed shares his views BSS on Saturday just on the eve of the first Test match between Bangladesh and Australia.
He said , while it is imminent that the pitch will decide the outcome of the final eleven it is all but sure that Shafiul will make it as the second pacer and Taskin can only come if there is early moisture in the wicket or if the wicket has something on offer for the possible inclusion of a third seamer.
Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan will have the enviable distinction of playing their 50th Test today and would like to make it count at any cost. Mushfiqur Rahim is the only other player from the ‘Fantastic Five’ to be playing against the Aussies tomorrow as both Mashrafe Mortaza and Mahmudullah Riyadh are out of the eleven any ways and that leaves Imrul Kayes as the other player with more test experience than anyone else.
With all the hullabaloo being made concerning Mominul Haque it would be a difficult proposition to leave him out of the side after all he has the highest average amongst the Bangladeshi’s and his test average at home is a staggering 60 plus and has been known to produce some phenomenal innings as well.
The Australians meanwhile would be relying on the experiences of Steve Smith and David Warner as no one else amongst the team can be said to have a great deal of test experience. The experience however of playing their domestic cricket would mean abundance in terms of ability and temperament.
Meanwhile the likes of Usman Khwaja the promising Pakistani born left hander and Matthew Wade along with Glen Maxwell and the efficient Ashton Agar down the order will be quite a handful and if the Bangladeshi bowlers are unable to make early inroads then the home sides are likely to face heap of runs from their opposition.
If the nature of the wicket is a bit of a slow and low turner and helps grip the ball then the likes of Shakib, Mustafizur and Miraj are really going to be a handful and only in that case shall we see 20 wickets of the opposition being felled and providing the home side with a sniff of an opportunity to gain initiative in the series.
That the leading Bangladeshi players have already expressed their desire to make it 2-0 in the series is itself half the battle won.
