Bangladesh are hours away from ending a long wait to play a Test in Australia, with the first match of the two-Test series set to begin in Darwin. While the hosts have already confirmed their playing XI, Bangladesh are yet to make their final selection.
The visitors have had to deal with several fitness concerns before the series. Fast bowler Nahid Rana is unavailable because of injury, while there had also been uncertainty over the availability of Litton Das and Taijul Islam.
Taijul has recovered and is expected to feature in the opening Test. Litton’s fitness had remained a more pressing concern, but Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has indicated that the wicketkeeper-batter is now fully fit and ready to play.
“Litton is 100 per cent fit now,” Shanto said. He also stressed that Litton’s return had added greater depth and consistency to Bangladesh’s batting unit.
The captain, however, confirmed that the final XI had not yet been settled. With a few minor injury concerns still being monitored, the team management planned to make the final decision on match day.
Two spinners and three pacemen likely
Based on Bangladesh’s preparation match and their recent Test combinations, the visitors could opt for a five-man bowling attack comprising two spinners and three fast bowlers.
Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz are the leading candidates for the two spin-bowling positions. Both offer more than just their work with the ball, giving Bangladesh useful batting depth lower down the order.
Taskin Ahmed is expected to lead the pace attack. Hasan Mahmud strengthened his case considerably after taking four wickets in the preparation match and is also likely to retain his place.
The third pace position appears to be a closer contest. Khaled Ahmed could get the nod after taking a wicket in the warm-up game. Ebadot Hossain also claimed a wicket, but conceded more than five runs an over and has not enjoyed the strongest run of form in recent outings.
That could give Khaled the edge when the selectors finalise the attack.
Opening combination likely to remain unchanged
Bangladesh also face an important decision at the top of the batting order. However, the preparation match provided a strong indication that Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam could continue as the opening pair.
Mominul Haque is expected to occupy the No. 3 position, followed by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. Mushfiqur Rahim will provide considerable experience in the middle order, while Litton is likely to return as wicketkeeper and batter.
The presence of experienced players such as Mushfiqur, Shanto, Mominul and Litton will be particularly important against Australia’s attack. Bangladesh will need a disciplined approach with the bat, especially during the early stages when the new ball could offer assistance to the home side’s pace bowlers.
Bangladesh’s probable XI
- Tanzid Hasan
- Shadman Islam
- Mominul Haque
- Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain)
- Mushfiqur Rahim
- Litton Das (wicketkeeper)
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz
- Taijul Islam
- Taskin Ahmed
- Khaled Ahmed
- Hasan Mahmud
The final XI could still change depending on fitness and conditions, but the combination above appears to offer Bangladesh a balanced attack with two spinners, three pacemen and a batting order containing several experienced campaigners.
For Bangladesh, the match carries significance beyond the opening game of a bilateral series. It marks their return to Test cricket in Australia after a long absence. The visitors will therefore be looking to make the most of their preparation and experience while handling the demands of unfamiliar conditions.
With the first ball approaching, the selection debate is nearly over. Bangladesh’s immediate challenge will then be to turn that carefully considered combination into a competitive performance against the hosts.
