Bangladesh Vs Zimbabwe 1st Test Played At Sylhet Stadium 

Score Card Day-1:

Zimbabwe 236/5 (Sean Williams 88, Hamilton Masakdza 52, PJ Moore 37*, RW Chakava 20*, Taijul Islam 2/ 86) 

Home side Bangladesh had little more to celebrate on day one other than one of their cricket Icon Akram Khan belling their 8th test venue Sylhet. The visitors Zimbabwe taking advantage of ordinary bowling attack railed to a near comfort zone. Zimbabwe with 236/5 at stumps of day one in a test match on a historic and auspicious occasion for a new venue making debut had nose in front. Another 100 runs would put them in command as the dry wicket may break. Batting on the fourth day onwards may not be easy. 

The wicket on day one had no horizontal movement, no pace, no bounce, no appreciable turn. The talk of Bangladesh was weird team selection. Mustafizur Rahman having pain in his elbow should not have been in the squad. Either local boy Khaled, picked for his pace or Shafiul included for his swing should have played.  Fielding three specialist spinners including the option of Mahmudullah as the fourth was understandable. But playing one pacer and that too a rookie Abu Jayed, was hotly debated. 

Nazmul Hussain Shanto not yet test material should not have been preferred over Mohammad Mithun. Bits and pieces player Ariful was not a better choice at the late middle order. If the team think tank had in their mind appearing with one pacer why they included four in the squad? What is the point of producing docile wicket and taking ultra defensive approach against a very weak visiting team? Why Bangladesh did not use the opportunity of testing their pace bowling with the prospect of New Zealand visit and ICC world cup in England knocking at the door?

This Zimbabwean team appears to be no match for Bangladesh in any format. They were virtually ran over by Bangladesh in the ODI series. They were looking ordinary even in warm up matches against fringe pace bowlers. Bangladesh was on the other hand leaking wounds of severe battering they received in the test series against West Indies in test series. This was a great opportunity of giving run to Bangladeshi pacers and presenting a green top pacer friendly wicket preparing batsmen for testing time in New Zealand and England next year.  Shortsighted team think tank puzzled every one playing one seam bowler and taking a very conservative approach in team selection.  

If Bangladesh has to take ultra defensive attitude against Zimbabwe at home how Bangladesh would grow as a test team? Why Bangladesh has to spend fortune for an icon fast bowler Courtney Walsh as bowling coach? Friendly fire of Ariful cannot be a pace bowling option in test cricket. 

There are at least a dozen in Bangladesh cricket who should be in the team ahead of him in that position. Cannot also understand why Bangladesh has to hang around with Shanto? He is not yet test material. Mohammad Mithun could be far better option. Many thought even Soumya could be included. His batting and much more effective bowling could be handy. He required more international exposure before West Indies series.

The feature of the day was very matured batting of Sean Williams and business as usual half century of experience Masakadza. The frailty of Bangladesh attack was exposed when second seam bowler Ariful bowled only four innocuous overs of ninety-one overs. He was not bowling with bright red cherry.  It was great that Taizul struck two early blows pegging visitors a bit. But two matured batsmen Masakdaza and Williams rallied around steadying the rocking boat till after lunch Jayed with the bowl of the day had Masakadza plumb in front. 

Sikandar Raza gave Williams company for a while before Nazmul disturbed his furniture. Williams looked solid as he negotiated well all those were thrown at him.  He found ideal peer in Moore. Desperate Mahmudullah brought himself on and immediately struck gold enticing Williams to a cut. Miraj took a diving catch depriving him of well deserved century. Many wonder why Riad does not bowl regularly. He is really a front liner spinner.

236/5 still looked a bit better for Bangladesh. On a dry surface tending to break eventually another 100 runs for the visitors can make it really interesting.  Moore and Chakava have already added 35 useful runs in the 6th wicket partnership. Bangladesh must strike early on day two in efforts for restricting visitors below 300. With Tamim and Shakib not available Bangladesh may struggle if visitors get a start again today. Bangladesh will have to bat last on this wicket. Never mind Bangladesh is not yet out of the game under any stretch of imagination. But what happens if for any reason lone pacer gets injured? 

This writer was with Bangladesh Cricket Icon Aminul Islam Bulbul and his family watching his younger son Mahdi playing in Victorian Premier Division league match at Glen Waverly, Melbourne yesterday. We were talking about the Bangladesh Cricket looking at the excellent ground condition, wickets and other facilities in Melbourne suburb.  We know even our test venues cannot match with ground and other facilities of a suburb. We have no vision for it also. It is a wishful thinking when and how Bangladesh would get these at all. 

As the time was ticking for the toss in Sylhet we discussed about the composition of Bangladesh team. We thought Bangladesh would appear would at least two pacers and look positive and aggressive. Believe us we were shocked looking at the team selected. In the ultra defensive approach Bangladesh would not mature in test cricket. It seems that Bangladesh does not have any perspective plan for graduating to higher level in test cricket.

BDST: 0950 HRS, NOV 4, 2018
SI