Bangladesh lost the toss and were asked to bat first by Pakistan in the opening Test of the two-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
On the greenish Mirpur surface, Bangladesh picked three pacers in their playing XI –Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana and Ebadot Hossain. Taskin last played a Test during the West Indies tour in November 2024. Alongside the three pacers, Bangladesh also included two spinners in Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam, with six specialist batters in the lineup.
Pakistan, meanwhile, handed Test debuts to two batters, Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal. Their pace attack features Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali and Mohammad Abbas.
Pakistan are without Babar Azam for the Dhaka Test due to injury. In the spin department, they have picked Noman Ali instead of Sajid Khan. Their pace attack features Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali.
Bangladesh are still searching for their first win in the current cycle of the ICC World Test Championship. After two matches, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side have drawn one and lost the other.
The two-match Test series between Bangladesh national cricket team and Pakistan national cricket team begins with the first Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium at 10 am on 8 May. The second Test will begin on 16 May at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
The memory of the last Test series between the two teams has repeatedly come up ahead of this series. Bangladesh, who had never previously beaten Pakistan in Tests, returned from Rawalpindi with a 2-0 series victory in 2024.
Although both teams have insisted that series is now in the past and that they want to focus on the present, those memories will undoubtedly serve as motivation for Bangladesh. At the same time, expectations have risen because of that success.
Bangladesh XI:
Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudul Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain.
Pakistan XI:
Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Fazal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Noman Ali, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas.
