Match Thread - Zimbawe v Bangladesh 1st Test
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 6:56 am
BANGLADESH will start the two-match Teletalk Test starting as favourites, but Zimbabwe cricket team captain Brendan Taylor believes his team’s ability to play on their own home conditions will give them an edge ahead of their opponents.
REPORT BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
The two lowly ranked Test sides clash in the first day of the first Test today in what will be only the second Test match played at Harare Sports Club in almost 13 years. When the two teams last met about three years ago, the Asians struggled to cope with the pace and bounce with Zimbabwe cruising to a 130-run victory.
Taylor said: “We’ve have had our ups and downs since the last time we met Bangladesh, but we know our conditions fairly well. It’s going to be tough for them. We understand that they are a team that’s coming from a pretty successful tour of Sri Lanka so they are definitely going to be a bit tougher now,” Taylor said during yesterday’s pre-match conference.
“I think going on our last Test – I know it was a couple of years ago – but it will be similar conditions. The wicket will be very livelier and I believe on the day we are certainly a good side. We can go out there and win, but we have to be at our best if we are going to beat Bangladesh,” he said.
Taylor, who together with former skipper Elton Chigumbura and Hamilton Masakadza had stints in the Bangladesh Premier League last year, said their knowledge of some of their players had helped them in crafting their game-plan.
“That (Stint in Bangladesh) certainly helped us. We played against guys we would not have played with before if we had not gone there so we have shared that amongst the team and it has helped us with our planning. We now have a fair idea of how we are going to approach certain players and it will certainly play a big part,” he said.
On the team’s bowling stocks, Taylor singled out the seam trio of in form Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara and Keegan Meth, who are likely to spearhead the team’s bowling attack.
“Kyle has been fantastic; he had career best figures in the West Indies on a flat wicket. It’s also nice to see guys like Chatara coming through.
“Keegan Meth has also been pushing the other guys to try and get into the side and he is good possible for tomorrow. In the batters we have been a bit thin on runs but we all know our conditions pretty well. Definitely the top four batters the guys are pretty confident and could get a big one and put us in a good position.”
In the absence of regular opener Tino Mawoyo, Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza are expected to open the batting with Taylor, Sean Williams, Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller expected to make up the batting line-up.
Bangladesh have been secretive in terms of their preparations after deciding not to play any warm up matches. The fitness of former skipper Shakib Al Hasan and opening batsman Tamim Iqbal was still not yet clear yesterday.
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who comes into the tour in confident mood after becoming the first Bangladeshi to score a double century in Test cricket said they had high expectations ahead of the tour.
“Every time we come to Zimbabwe there are a lot of expectations. It’s also the same weather we are playing them back home. We are expected to win all the matches.
We had a great tour of Sri Lanka and the boys are confident of putting on a great show,” said Rahim whose side would be hoping to finally win a Test match at Harare Sports Club on their fourth attempt.
Zimbabwe have never lost a Test match to Bangladesh at Harare Sports Club with all the previous matches in 2001, 2004 and 2011 ending in Zimbabwe’s favour.
Zimbabwe’s 15-man squad: Vusi Sibanda, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor, Malcolm Waller, Richmond Mutumbami, Elton Chigumbura, Shingi Masakadza, Keegan Meth, Graeme Cremer, Kyle Jarvis, Sean Williams, Tendai Chatara, Prosper Utseya, Tinotenda Mutombodzi