While Mushfiqur Rahim’s availability for the second Test looks extremely doubtful, Bangladesh can heave a sigh of relief that opener Tamim Iqbal gained his full fitness ahead of the Wellington Test, beginning on Friday.
Tamim Iqbal felt some pain in the groin while fielding just after the first Test in Hamilton. Even though it was not considered to be a serious concern, he was not deemed hundred percent fit at the same time.
The opener who was in imperious form with smashing 126 and 74 in two innings of Hamilton Test did not take part in the batting session on the opening day’s training session in Wellington.
However he had a light batting session on Thursday.
“You cannot say anything regarding injury because it is part of game,” Bangladesh interim captain Mahmudullah said of Tamim on Thursday.
“I am hopeful about Tamim though he has slight niggle. Still I believe he will be ok for tomorrow. I think he is in good stead and from what I have seen he was comfortable with his batting,” he said.
He revealed that they are not trying to rush anything on Tamim. While Mahmudullah was hopeful about Tamim, he looked cynical about Mushfiqur Rahim who is suffering with wrist injury and a flare-up of rib injury.
“We are probably not getting Mushfiqur in the next match but we are hopeful that he will be available for the third Test. Today he will have a proper net session and later we will know the exact condition of his pain as yesterday he batted in tennis ball along with rubber ball and cricket ball and he was still having some pain,” he said.
Bangladesh strength are diminished due to injury factor as they lost Shakib Al Hasan and Taskin Ahmed prior to the Test series while Mushfiqur Rahim failed to play the opening Test due to his wrist injury.
