Big picture
The most obvious thing to jump out from the Test earlier this week was Bangladesh’s comfort with adversity. Where they might have previously crumbled, they consolidated. Where they may have retreated into the safety of a draw, they went out and attacked. Where they might have treated a historically superior team with respect, they had the self-belief to recognise them for the inferior opposition they were.
While the batting steeliness of their middle order was instrumental to success, one of Bangladesh’s greatest assets over Pakistan is the ease with which they can balance their side and hedge against any conditions. The surface in Mirpur was a greentop, but one that was slow underneath. It allowed for an express seamer like Nahid Rana with enforcers in Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain, but that did not restrict Bangladesh to just the one spinner. Alongside left arm orthodox spinner Taijul Islam, they have a genuine offspinning-allrounder in Mehidy Hasan Miraz, allowing them to cover all bases with surprising completeness.
These were areas Pakistan needed to compromise on, with only one of Noman or Sajid able to be picked, and no one in their ranks to counter Rana’s high pace. But then again, Pakistan find themselves making compromises all over the place lately, with a batting order that is either fragile or inexperienced. Babar Azam’s return to the side may give them a psychological boost, but it has to be backed up by runs he, or most of his more experienced teammates, haven’t scored up the order regularly enough, and especially not away from home. That a lot of the burden of expectations may end up being shouldered by two top-order batters who only made their debuts last week goes on to illustrate the myriad vulnerabilities of the visitors.
Pakistan’s bowling attack, too, sparks little fear among opposition. One of the reasons they turned to spin tracks at home was their loss of faith in the seamers to take 20 wickets. The quicks were partly responsible for letting the game get away from their grip on the first day of the Test, a loss of control Pakistan were never quite able to wrestle back. For a side low on confidence, the path to get back on track is anything but clear, but with five away Tests this summer to follow, a positive result here is a shot in the arm they could desperately do with.
Form guide
Bangladesh WWWLD (last five completed Tests, most recent first)
Pakistan LLWLW
In the spotlight – Nahid Rana and Babar Azam
Team news
Mahmudul Hasan Joy was sporting a bandaged hand during training on Friday. It puts Zakir Hasan and Tanzid Hasan on alert for a possible call-up. One of the fast bowlers could be rested, in which case Shoriful Islam will be in line for a start.
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mahmudul Hasan Joy 2, Tanzid Hasan, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Nahid Rana, 11 Shoriful Islam
Babar’s return means there will be a little rejig of the middle order. ESPNcricinfo understands opener Imam-ul-Haq is the likeliest to miss out, with Shan Masood moving up to open alongside Azan Awais. Shaheen Shah Afridi, too, is believed to be on the chopping block, with Khurram Shahzad a direct replacement. Pakistan also need to take a call on whether Sajid Khan rather than Noman Ali has more of a role against Bangladesh’s two premier left-handed batters Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Pakistan: 1 Shan Masood (capt) 2 Azan Awais 3 Abdullah Fazal 4 Babar Azam 5 Saud Shakeel 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 7 Salman Ali Agha 8 Khurram Shahzad 9 Noman Ali/Sajid Khan 10 Hasan Ali 11 Mohammad Abbas
Pitch and conditions
The weather remains the biggest unknown for Sylhet, with both teams training indoors on Friday. During the first Test, the forecast looked grim enough that reports of the Test being moved to Mirpur began to circulate, before they were quashed. Plenty of rain, especially in the early days of the Test, is expected, including on the opening morning.
Stats and trivia
- A Bangladesh win would make Pakistan the first team in history to lose four successive Tests to Bangladesh. Currently, they hold the joint record, alongside Zimbabwe, with three losses.
- Mominul Haque, who scored 147 runs in the first Test and now has 5006 Test runs, needs another 129 to overtake Tamim Iqbal, the current President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as the second-highest run-scorer in Bangladesh Test history. Mushfiqur Rahim, with 6603, is at the top.
- Mohammad Abbas needs three more wickets to become the sixth Pakistan seam bowler to take 100 wickets outside Pakistan. None of the five to have done it before – Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, Mohammad Amir and Amir Gul – have a better average outside Pakistan than his 23.02.
Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000
