DHAKA: Pace sensation Nahid Rana will be in the spotlight when Bangladesh take on Zimbabwe in the first game of a two-match series between the evenly matched Test rivals on Sunday.

Bangladesh are ranked ninth and Zimbabwe are at the bottom of the 12-team ICC Test rankings after a disappointing year and both teams are hoping for a better start to the long season ahead.

The hosts have been formidable on the slow and spin-friendly home pitches but have several veterans missing.

The Sylhet wicket is expected to offer pace and bounce for the new ball bowlers and Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said he was excited about Nahid, who already has 20 wickets in six Tests.

The 22-year-old regularly clocks over 140 kph and Shanto said “we just told him to bowl at this pace”.

However, Bangladesh’s top-order batting has been a cause of concern.

“We have to be consistent at the top order,” Shanto told a news conference on the eve of the Test. “Last year, I played a few innings over 30 or 40 runs but failed to carry on. We are working hard to solve this batting problem.”

Bangladesh have won eight of the 18 Tests against Zimbabwe, their highest total against any Test side, with four of them in their past five encounters.

Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine said he was not concerned about the past.

“I understand we haven’t had a great run in Test cricket,” Ervine said. “I think this is the first year in which we have a lot of Test cricket lined up for us. I think it’s really exciting with the amount of Test cricket that we will play,” he said.

Ervine said most of the players in his squad had no experience of playing in Bangladesh.

“It is a great opportunity for the young players to stamp their authority in Test cricket,” he said.

Bangladesh have only won five of their 13 Tests in the past two years.

Zimbabwe lost three of their four Tests in the same period.

The second and final Test of the series will be played in Chattogram from April 28.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2025