In the world of Cricket, both Pakistan and Bangladesh find themselves in the bottom half of the World Test Championship points table, a situation they could ill afford. Both teams are hungry for redemption after disappointing exits from the T20 World Cup, leaving their fans yearning for better performances.
Pakistan, currently two places ahead of Bangladesh in the standings, are seen as the favorites in this upcoming Test series. Led by captain Shan Masood and with the guidance of new red-ball coach Jason Gillespie, Pakistan is looking to leverage their recent county stints for stability in the Test team.
With all first-choice players available, Pakistan named their XI early, opting for an all-pace attack on the Rawalpindi pitch. Young opener Saim Ayub has been given another opportunity to showcase his talent.
On the other hand, Bangladesh faced training challenges leading up to the series, which led them to accept the PCB’s invitation to train in Lahore before heading to Rawalpindi. Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparation but remains cautious about their batting form, which has seen a decline over the past year.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and senior batters Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mominul Haque will be crucial for Bangladesh in overcoming their recent batting struggles.
In terms of form, Pakistan has a slight edge with a recent record of LLLWW in their last five Tests compared to Bangladesh’s LLLWW.
The spotlight will be on young pace sensation Naseem Shah for Pakistan, while Najmul Hossain Shanto will be key for Bangladesh. Pakistan is going in with four fast bowlers, with Saud Shakeel named as vice-captain.
Shadman Islam is expected to replace the injured opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy for Bangladesh, while the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim returns to the Test side after missing the Sri Lanka series.
In a quirky stat, Bangladesh is yet to beat Pakistan in Test cricket. Four current players from the Bangladesh side played their last Test in Pakistan in 2020, coincidentally also in Rawalpindi. Shakib Al Hasan leads the run-scoring charts in Bangladesh-Pakistan Tests, while Taijul Islam holds the record for most wickets among current players.
With both teams eager to make a mark in this series, the battle between Pakistan’s pace attack and Bangladesh’s batting lineup promises to be an intriguing spectacle on the cricket field.
