Najmul Shanto with Josh Inglis & Nahid Rana (Source: AFP Photos)
Australia and Bangladesh will soon play a two-match Test series, starting from August 6 onwards with a three-day warm-up match. More significantly, Australia will host Bangladesh this time around, a red-ball tour in the country for the Tigers for the first time in 23 years.
However, Bangladesh will not have the star pace bowler Nahid Rana during the Test series in Australia, scheduled to get underway on August 13 at Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin. The second and final Test will be held at Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, from August 22 onwards.
Nahid, meanwhile, will miss the historic Test series due to a Grade 2 left-side strain he sustained during the recently concluded Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe. Having already done so much in such a short time and in the exceptional form he was in, it could have been a remarkable tour for the 23-year-old only if he had stayed fit.
Najmul Hossain Shanto Laughs Off Bangladesh's Injury Woes
Not only Nahid Rana, but Bangladesh also will not have Litton Das and Shoriful Islam in Australia, at least for the first Test. While Litton is still in recovery mode from the calf injury he had, Shoriful recently picked up a hamstring injury that will rule him out of the upcoming Bangladesh tour of Australia.
Speaking to the reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh captain for Tests, Najmul Hossain Shanto, shrugged off the injury concerns for the upcoming challenge. Instead, he highlighted how the young guns who had few opportunities in the past for the country can step up in the absence of some of their stars.
"Honestly, I don't like hearing the phrase 'injury-hit team' (laughs). Injuries are part of the game. Of course, Nahid Rana, Shoriful, and Litton are very important players. But at the same time, the players who are in the squad have also been playing cricket for many years," Najmul said.
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"This is a great opportunity for them to show what they can do. If they perform well, it will benefit the team. As a captain, expecting to always have every first-choice player available would be unrealistic. I have complete faith in the players we have, and if they give their best, we can still do well," he added.
Shanto Focused On Taking 20 Wickets To Win Tests
Furthermore, Shanto, the returning Bangladesh captain, highlighted the utmost importance of claiming 20 wickets in a Test match, the ultimate mantra of winning a red-ball game. To make it happen, he picked Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan as the leaders of the pack.
“In Australian conditions, the expectation is naturally the same—that they can take 20 wickets. We also have two experienced spinners who will support the pace bowlers. Except for Mushfiq, all the pacers in the squad are experienced and have been playing for many years. If they can bowl at their best, taking 20 wickets is definitely possible," Shanto highlighted.
“Our spinners perform well in any conditions. Taijul bhai, Miraz or Nayeem—whoever is there—I believe they can serve the team well,” he concluded.
Bangladesh Squad For 1st Test Vs Australia
Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (VC), Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan
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