A golden opportunity to win an away Test

The last time Bangladesh won an international series away from home was back in 2018 against the West Indies. Bangladesh haven't won a single game outside Bangladesh since their historic victory in a T20I against India a year and a half ago.

Bangladesh's only overseas Test series win came way back in 2009 when the West Indies fielded a heavily depleted side as most of the leading players pulled out. So they will be desperate to break the deadlock when they face Zimbabwe in the one-off Test in Harare on Wednesday. This will be Bangladesh's first Test in Zimbabwe since 2013.

"We shouldn't treat Zimbabwe in the same manner as we do at home," said former left-arm spinner and currently a selector Abdur Razzak who knows a thing or two about the conditions and weather of Zimbabwe. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed echoed his words too. Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe are a tough side to beat. Their records against Bangladesh in their own backyard speak for themselves. 

Bangladesh have so far played seven Tests in Zimbabwe and won only one. Bangladesh didn't win a series in any format when they toured Zimbabwe the last time for a full series. In 2013, they managed to draw the Test and T20I series. In 2011, Zimbabwe absolutely thrashed Bangladesh in the only Test, coming back from a six-year exile.

But Zimbabwe now are very different from the side that played in 2011 or 2013, especially in Tests. Since that victory against Bangladesh, they won only three Tests including two against Afghanistan and Bangladesh. 

Traditionally Harare is a venue where the pitch assists the fast bowlers. Since 2015, 60% of the wickets across formats in Harare have been picked up by seamers.

Robiul Islam, the right-arm seamer, was the star for Bangladesh in the previous Zimbabwe tour when he picked up 15 wickets at 19.53. It was the best performance by a Bangladeshi pacer in a bilateral Test series. Robiul bowled long spells and made life difficult for the batters by swinging the ball especially away from the right-handers. The pacers, this time too, have to play a crucial role. 

Abu Jayed has been a consistent performer for Bangladesh for the last couple of years or so and he will look to leave the bad memories of the recent Sri Lanka tour. A rejuvenated Taskin Ahmed can prove a dangerous customer as well. He bagged eight wickets in two Tests against Sri Lanka and looked very sharp. 

Newly appointed batting consultant Ashwell Prince suggested that the pitch provides assistance to the spinners in this time of the year in Zimbabwe. Since the other spinners of the side haven't toured Zimbabwe before, the onus will be on Shakib Al Hasan to lead the spin attack. Shakib picked up three wickets in the tour game ahead of the Test match. He looked confident with the bat as well and scored an aggressive 74 not out off 56 balls. Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo said that Shakib is really looking forward to playing the match and doing well.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal is a doubt for the match as he is carrying an injury on his left knee. "Tamim Bhai is an important player as you know. We will see how his fitness is tomorrow and then make a decision," Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque said in the pre-match press conference. 

Mahmudullah, who was added to the squad a couple of days after the announcement of the Test team, is not likely to feature in the XI although Mominul said that they would take a decision on his selection after assessing the pitch. 

On the other hand, Zimbabwe's regular captain Sean Williams and Craig Ervine will not participate in the Test match. They haven't joined the Zimbabwe squad since they came in contact with Covid-19 affected family members. Stand-in captain Brendan Taylor said that the wicket would be pacy. "We'd like a fast and bouncy track that should produce edges. But they are good enough players and can counter that. So we know we're up against a good side," he said. 

Only five members of the Test squad have the experience of playing international cricket in Zimbabwe. Mahmudullah's inclusion isn't a certainty and the management might not take the risk of playing an injured Tamim. So the youngsters have to take responsibility and stamp their authority.

Day one of the Test match will begin at 1.30 pm (BDST).