Clicky
Sports, Cricket

Impressive Bangladesh ready for the Durban Test


Published : 29 Mar 2022 09:18 PM

Tigers are now ready to play their first Test off two-match series in Durban to start from March 31, at the Kingsmead Stadium, one of the oldest Test venue of South Africa. 

Bangladesh have no any pleasant moments of playing Test cricket in South Africa but tasting bitter experiences in their previous three times tour when the Tigers suffered all six matches of three Tests they played. 

The hosts inflicted innings defeats in five matches and another one by huge 333 runs. 

In the first tour in 2002-03, Bangladesh lost the first Test by innings and 160 runs when they played all three Tests at Bloemfontein and Potchefstroom, East London and Centurion. 

The last tour of Bangladesh in South Africa in 2017-18 was also very disappointing when they lost the first Test by innings and 254 runs and the second one by 333 runs. 

But this time Bangladesh went Durban, a new venue for them to play Test match with some delightful memories of ODI series win in centurion. 

Of course, it might be a huge boost up for Bangladesh ahead of their first Test of the tour when they went Durban with a belief that South Africa team are not indomitable after breaking the winning draught in ODI at their home ground.

However, the Kingsmead Stadium, situated in a unique area of Durban, just a stone throw from the Indian Ocean when the match will be played in a green surface, considered as fast bowling friendly, which is also inspiring for Bangladeshi pacers.  

Bangladesh, who are eyeing to have relentless services from the pacer Taskin Ahmed, the best contributor during the ODI series victory, also expected that led by Taskin, his compatriots Ebadot Hossain and Abu Jayed will also be highly encouraged to give their best.

Meanwhile, spinners Taijul Islam and Mehidy Miraz could also be important weapons to support the pacers. 

Taskin, right now the central character of fast-bowling attack of Bangladesh, the tall and well-built young, was not consistent in the both ODI and Test after his debut in 2014. But his comeback in 2021, after two years, he has taken 16 wickets at 38.93 in five Tests and this time he just burst in the ODI series.  

Mehidy Miraz, who also played important role in previous time in the team’s winning, specially, his 19-wicket haul in the debut Test series is a part of Bangladesh cricket classic against England that steered the Tigers to win their maiden Test against them and he established him as one of the big names in the country’s cricket. 

Mehidy kept up his demonstration in Bangladesh’s 100th Test victory in Colombo, in absence of Shakib Al Hassan, he (Miraz) may give the proxy of the number one all-rounder in Durban.

Taijul Islam, the spinning partner of Miraz, stormed in the Test cricket with a five wickets haul against West Indies in 2014 in Kingstown, also a proven performers, with taking 144 wickets in 35 Tests and his best was eight for 39 against Zimbabwe. 

Meanwhile, Nazmul Hassan Shanto could also play an impressive role reviving the happy memory of Bangladesh Under-19 team’s winning a seven-match series by 5-2 in South Africa in 2015 when he was a member of that squad. 

Whatever happened in the past, Bangladesh have no way to take SA team lightly because they always far ahead of us and a long Test cricket history.