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Having beaten the hosts by 3-0 in the T20I leg, Pakistan’s next target on the tour of Bangladesh will be the two-match Test series. The two teams will take on each other in the first match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium from November 26 to November 30.
Pakistan, who have a real chance of reaching the final of the second edition of the World Test Championship, will be eyeing a full 24 points from this series.
They have played two Tests in this cycle so far on the tour of West Indies, where they returned with 12 points. The Men in Green lost the first match by one wicket in a nail-biting thriller but came strong to win the second one by 109 runs.
Bangladesh will start their WTC campaign with this series. But they have played three series this year in the longest format. They hosted the Windies early in the year but lost both the games, handing them a historic series win.
In April, they toured Sri Lanka, where they lost a Test and managed to draw one. Later in July, Bangladesh toured Zimbabwe, where they played a solitary Test, winning by 220 runs.
The last time these two teams competed against each other was in early 2020, where Pakistan won the first Test by an innings and 44 runs. The second game was cancelled as Bangladesh declined the day-night Test proposal, citing lack of preparation.
Key players
Azhar Ali has been rock solid for Pakistan in the longest format, batting in the top order. The 36-year-old veteran has a good record in the format, having scored 6641 runs in 89 Tests at an average of 42.57. Azhar Ali has registered 18 hundreds and 33 half centuries, with the highest of 302*.
He has been superb in the Asian conditions, averaging 52.86 for 3912 runs. Expect Azhar Ali to play a key part in this contest against Bangladesh.
Mominul Haque has been one of Bangladesh’s most important players in red-ball cricket. The 30yr old left-hand batter has done well for the team in 45 Tests he has played, amassing 3349 runs at an average of 42.93. Mominul Haque has a very good conversion rate with 14 fifties and 11 hundreds.
In his last 10 matches, Mominul has scored 791 runs averaging 46.53. The Bangladesh skipper will be a key part of their batting unit.
Hasan Ali, who is excellent at extracting seam movement, has been a key part of Pakistan’s bowling attack in the longest format. The right-arm medium pacer has 63 wickets to his name from 15 Tests at an excellent average of 22.46.
Ali has claimed five five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul in this format. He has been in superb red ball form, having picked 32 scalps in his last six matches.
Mohammad Rizwan has had an incredible year across formats and has become Pakistan’s first-choice wicket-keeper. The 29yr old has scored 653 runs in his last 10 innings in red-ball cricket at an average of 50.23.
Rizwan has registered one hundred and six fifties in Test cricket. He has been in a very good run-scoring form and could play a big role for the team.
Taijul Islam has been an important part of the Bangladesh bowling attack at home. The left-arm orthodox spinner has done a good job for the team over the years, having picked 134 wickets in 33 Tests at an average of 32.97. Taijul has claimed eight five-wicket hauls and one 10-fer.
His best bowling figures in an innings read 8/39. He has picked 35 wickets in his last nine games and will be crucial for the hosts at Chattogram.
Prediction
The head to head record is quite telling as Bangladesh have never won a Test match against Pakistan in red-ball cricket. Out of 11 matches they’ve faced each other, Pakistan have won 10 while one resulted in a draw.
The Bangla Tigers have plenty of concerns with Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam sidelined due to injuries. Shakib Al Hasan’s participation also depends on the late fitness test. They have some quality spinners in Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam. The batting unit will depend a lot on captain Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Pakistan have a strong batting line-up led by Babar Azam. The likes of Azhar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Fawad Alam and Imam-ul-Haq are also in good form. The spin department will be handled by Nauman Ali and Bilal Asif while they have a few quality pace options in Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Mohammad Abbas.
Pakistan are a much stronger unit, and they should win the first Test at Chattogram to take the lead.
