Bangladesh for maintaining high standard in one-off Test against Afghans

Dhaka, 8 Oct —Bangladesh look to maintain the high standard they set in cricket’s elite format following a historical Australian triumph as they face Afghanistan in the one-off Test Friday at Sheikh Jayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The match starts at 12 PM, Bangladesh time and will be aired live on T Sports Channel.

The match is Bangladesh’s first in this format following a historical Australia series, which they drew 1-1, demonstrating a performance that finally earned them the worldwide respect. Indeed apart from India, very few teams won a Test in Australia in this century.

The victory in Australia also fueled Bangladesh’s hope to play the World Test Championship final for the first time. The Afghanistan Test is not the part of WTC cycle but a victory is imperative to give Bangladesh a psychological boost ahead of the stern test against West Indies and South Africa, the two important series that would determine Bangladesh’s possibility to play the WTC final.

But Afghanistan won’t be an easy prey despite being comparatively a new test nation, specially at their adopted venue in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Bangladesh are yet to establish their full domination against the Afghans as far as the past record in considered. Of the two Tests between the two sides, Afghanistan won one and Bangladesh one, keeping the rivalry locked 1-1.

Moreover a team bolstered with effective spinners if not great, Afghanistan would find the Abu Dhabi condition to their likings because the pitch tend to be slow and low, offering the tweakers substantial support. 

Despite the recent pace resurgence which contributed in some landmark victories for Bangladesh, the spin attack of the Tigers still remains world class, further keeping the side still on top of Afghanistan in paper. 

 But what would be more worrying issue for Bangladesh is the UAE heat, which sometimes may feel unbearable.

Even though Bangladesh team management took several steps to acclimatize the Abu Dhabi heat, it’s one area which could bother Bangladesh in all five days in Abu Dhabi.

Moreover, six top players who were part of the Asian Games squad in Japan -- Liton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud and Tanzid Hasan Tamim -- joined the Test squad after arriving in UAE on Tuesday. Therefore they had little time to cope with excessive UAE heat.

“Well, that's the only issue right now. The guys who came from Japan, doing not much there, and then having to come in this weather... two days in this weather, it's how they adjust," Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons said in a video message sent by the BCB.

“Because it's a mental thing at the end of the day, and it's how they adjust. And today they look good. They look good for their first day in the heat. So, I'm sure they will adjust themselves properly," he added.

However, Simmons believes Abu Dhabi wicket would provide good contest between bat and ball but he believes still the pitch could assist the spinners.

"I'm looking at the wicket, the wicket looks good. It looks like it can be a little bit slow, but it looks to be a good wicket. So, we're preparing for a good wicket. We know that we're going to have to come up against a number of spinners, so we're preparing for all that.”

Simmons understanding about the wicket hinted that Bangladesh may bolster the first XI tomorrow with an additional spinner.

Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Tanzid Hasan, Shadman Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam.

Reserves: Nayeem Hasan, Musfik Hasan, Iqbal Hossain Emon

Afghanistan squad: Rahmat Shah (Captain), Ikram Alikhail (Vice-Captain & WK), Afsar Zazai (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmanullah Zadran, Shahidullah Kamal, Ismat Alam, Qais Ahmad, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Khalil Gurbaz, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi and Yamin Ahmadzai.

Reserves: Baheer Shah Mahboob, Naseer Khan Maroofkhil, Bilal Sami and Bashir Ahmad.BSS