Bangladesh set sights on first Test win over Pakistan

After registering their first ODI series and T20 International win against Pakistan in style, a fired-up Bangladesh are aiming for the first Test win against their sub-continent rivals and end their 14-year long wait.

After four consecutive international wins, the buoyant Tigers will take on an experienced Pakistan side in the first Test of the two-match series at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna.

The match is scheduled for a 10am local time start on Tuesday.

Bangladesh suffered innings defeat in their first Test against Pakistan in Multan, 2001.

The Tigers lost all seven of the Tests played after that against them.

Bangladesh came closest to a win in the third Test in Multan in the 2003 series.

They lost the match by a slender one-wicket margin thanks to a controversial Rashid Latif artifice.

The Tigers want to erase the memories of the match by winning the first Test against Pakistan in Khulna.

Bangladesh’s first win against them came in the 1999 World Cup. They had to wait 16 years for another win.

The Tigers are brimming with confidence after their clinical sweep of the limited-over series.

The followed that up with a crushing seven-wicket win in the one-off T20.

But Test is a different ball game.

Pakistan, ranked fourth in ICC Test team rankings, are years ahead of the hosts in the longest form of the game.

Out of Bangladesh’s total seven Test wins, the last three came against Zimbabwe in the last series. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha in keen to maintain the run of success against Pakistan.

When Bangladesh played against Zimbabwe at this venue, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan scored centuries.

Bangladesh went on to win the tie by 162 runs as Shakib became the first spinner to score a hundred and take 10 wickets in a Test.

Shakib, who is the top ICC Test allrounder, will lead the hosts’ bowling attack. The southpaw has not played any first-class match since the Test series against Zimbabwe.

If he is at his best, Bangladesh bowlers can put pressure on Pakistan batsmen quickly. Spinner become increasingly important as the game go on.

Shakib will have left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and leg-spinner Jubair Hossain to support him.

Shahadat Hossain partner pacer Rubel Hossain at the other end.

Tamim and Imrul Kayes have been in good form in the Tests. Both batsmen scored centuries in the last Test against Zimbabwe in Chittagong.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim needs the openers to get the side off to a good start.

Mominul Haque may have lost his spot in ODI squad, but he is an important cog in Bangladesh’s Test batting.

In 12 Tests, the left-handed batsman averages over 60.

Bangladesh will bank on Mahmudullah, Shakib and Mushfiq to put on a big total.

Soumya Sarkar, centurion in the third ODI against Pakistan, may replace Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury at No. 7 to provide further depth in batting.

Mushfiq thinks the Khulna track will assist batsman in the first two days.

“It is difficult to score runs on the Khulna wicket. It not like Dhaka’s…The first session tomorrow (Tuesday) may hint at something.”

Mushfiq has backed his bowlers to take 20 wickets against Pakistan for the first time.

Presence of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq makes Pakistan’s batting sturdy. Younis scored five Test centuries last year.

Mushfiq is keen to send the two back quickly.

Azhar Ali has shown sparks of brilliance with the bat in the ODI series while the experience of Mohammad Hafeez will come handy in the Tests for Pakistan.

Opener Sami Aslam may make his Test debut on Tuesday while middle-order batsmen Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed are almost certain to return.

Pakistan will play with two specialist pacers and spinners. Wahab Riaz, who is yet to make a mark, and Junaid Khan form Pakistan’s pace battery.

If Pakistan opt to pair left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar with Saeed Ajmal, leg-spinner Yasir Shah may have to sit out.