Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain has emphasised that his team needs to move past their recent series against Australia and focus entirely on the single Test match against Afghanistan, set to begin on October 9 in Abu Dhabi.
The two-match series in Australia concluded in a 1-1 draw, as Bangladesh triumphed in the first Test at Darwin by 9 wickets, while Australia secured the second Test at Mackay by innings and 51 runs. Although Hossain acknowledges the positive outcome of the opening match, he insists that attention must now fully turn to the upcoming challenge.
The victory propelled Bangladesh to fourth in the nine-team World Test Championship ( WTC) and gives them a strong shot at competing in next year’s final. Though the match against Afghanistan isn’t part of the WTC, Shanto said his team was prepared for the challenge.
Cricbuzz quotes Hossain saying, “I think as you mentioned we had a good series against Australia, but I believe that is past. These are new conditions against a new opponent and so we have to plan accordingly. The conditions here obviously are different but some of the players came a bit earlier and played one practice match so that will help to adjust. I think the preparation has been good. The conditions are a little hot, that will be the case. But as professional players, we don’t want to see it as an excuse at all. I think the players are not thinking too much about these things either.”
A victory will further strengthen Bangladesh’s confidence ahead of hosting the West Indies later this month, touring South Africa in November, and welcoming England in February next year. Afghanistan also aims to enhance their Test record under new captain Rahmat Shah, having won only four of the 13 Tests they’ve played since earning Test status in 2017.
They have eight losses and one draw. Their previous meeting in Dhaka three years ago ended in a crushing 546-run loss against Bangladesh. But they won their other Test against Bangladesh by 224 runs in 2019. Afghanistan will greatly miss their standout spinner Rashid Khan, who was omitted from the Test squad on medical advice to allow his back some rest ahead of crucial white-ball fixtures.
Bangladesh will miss their rapidly ascending pacer Naheed Rana for a second straight series as he continues to recover from a side strain. The pitch at Zayed Stadium is slow, which favours spinners and could see them come into play early, especially with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius ( 104 Fahrenheit).
