Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Pakistan have an unassailable 7-0 record over Bangladesh in Test matches, but all of that has come under severe threat after the outcome of the ODI series and the one-off T20.
Not many would have given Bangladesh a chance, but they followed an impressive World Cup with a historic series win.
Determined Bangladesh will face their Asian rivals Pakistan in the first Test from April 28 to May 2.
The match will begin at 10:00am (BST) at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna.
The switch in format means quite a few changes for both teams – Misbah Ul Haq and Younis Khan return for Pakistan and Bangladesh will be bolstered by the inclusion of Shahadat Hossain and one of their leading batsmen in Mominul Haque, reports cricbuzz.com.
One thing, which remains the same though, is momentum, which is heavily stacked in Bangladesh’s favour.
Pakistan’s batting has been abysmal in the recent past, and the return of Misbah and Younis will restore some order to it.
Besides, their new ODI skipper Azhar Ali, is fresh off a century and will be keen on carrying his limited-overs form to Tests.
Their middle-order comprises the likes of Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, and the pace-bowling department is shaping up well with the inclusion of Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan.
Wahab has been the cynosure of all eyes ever since he bowled that hostile spell against Australia’s Shane Watson and recently in the first ODI, where he picked up 4 for 59.
Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar will look to replicate the success he had in the Test series against Australia and New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last year, where he picked up 27 wickets in five matches.
Partnering him will be the returning Saeed Ajmal. The offspinner looked out of touch in the ODIs and will desperately want to change that on a turning Khulna pitch.
Yasir Shah, having recovered from a thumb injury is also in the picture.
Bangladesh are high on steam, and the fact that most of their players are also a part of the ODIs means there won’t be much problem in adjusting to switching to a different format, though they would want their premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to get back in the thick of things.
Shakib has not played first-class cricket since Bangladesh’s previous Test series.
Given the inexperience in the attack, Bangladesh’s bowling will depend on how skipper Mushfiqur Rahim will use Shakib.
Bangladesh’s batting stock is one that generates immediate attention.
Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur will form the crux of their middle order, and the addition of Soumya Sarkar and Litton Das, earning a maiden Test call-up, will give it more substance.
Soumya has been a proven performer in the World Cup (175 runs in six matches) and the recently-concluded ODIs (164 runs from three games), following which he earned his maiden Test call-up.
Fast bowler Mohammad Shahid is another player to have earned a maiden Test call-up.
He is coming off a successful run in the National Cricket League, where he was the fourth-highest wicket-taker with 18 scalps.
BANGLADESH
With all the success he’s recently had, Soumya Sarkar is set to get his Test cap.
The same though can’t be guaranteed for Litton, who may have to wait to give Shahadat Hossain, Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in Tests in the current crop of fast bowlers.
Expect Imrul Kayes to resume opening the batting with Tamim Iqbal.
Probable XI: 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Soumya Sarkar, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt/wk), 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Rubel Hossain, 10 Jubair Hossain, 11 Shahadat Hossain.
PAKISTAN
The return of Misbah and Younis is likely to make Haris Sohail wait and Babar seems to be the likely candidate to partner Ajmal in the spin department.
Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan are expected to spearhead the bowling attack. Also, Sarfraz will return after once again oddly sitting out the ODIs.
Probable XI: 1 Sami Aslam, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Zulfiqar Babar
QUOTES:
They have gone to the players who have put a mute button on Pakistan cricket for a long time.
There’s no freshness of ideas or direction. It’s the same old logic to keep wickets in hand and then go hard in the last 10 overs.
This is a throwback to the 80’s and 90’s stuff. I was hoping that the situation would improve but there is hardly any new direction given by the new coaching staff – Ramiz Raza recently told ESPNCricinfo about the lack of authority in the PCB.
“Except me, everyone has played in the longer version this season. Still, I don’t think it will be a problem. I will definitely try to prepare myself in these two days, and then apply it in the Test match. It is important to train to bowl more overs, because I get to bowl fewer overs in the other formats – Shakib Al Hasan believes his long absence from first-class cricket won’t be an issue.