Bangladesh v England, I Test, Chittagong – Preview
With Alastair Cook is set to become England’s most capped Test cricketer, the visiting side is contemplating going in with three spinners for thefirst Test against Bangladesh, beginning at MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong on Thursday (October 20).
Cook, who will win his record 134th cap and move past Alec Stewart at the top of the list for the most Test appearances for England, has just returned to Bangladesh after a short dash home for the birth of his daughter. He will look to ensure that his side maintains its all-win run against the home side. England has won all the previous eight Tests between the sides, one of only two teams – apart from Australia – to have won every Test against Bangladesh.
Cook said being captain of the Test team was “something I am very proud of” and never dreamed when he made his debut 11 years ago that he was embarking on a record-breaking career. “I would never have thought in 2006 when I made my debut I would get close to breaking that ... It will be a very special moment,” he said.
“It doesn't matter whether you are playing your first game or your 130th. It is a very proud moment to play for England and you should never ever forget that and I certainly don't.”
Gareth Batty, the 39-year-old off-spinner, is in line to play his first Test since 2005 as the third prong of a spin attack that also includes Moeen Ali, the off-spinner, and Adil Rashid, the leg-spinner, as England looks to capitalise on a pitch that is expected to assist the spinners.
England is high on confidence after a 2-1 victory in the preceding One-Day International series, and will be buoyed by the presence of Cook as well as Stuart Broad, the experienced paceman.
Cook will have a new opening partner after Alex Hales, his most recent fellow opener, decided to sit the tour out for security reasons. The toss-up will be between Ben Duckett, the 22 year old who now has four fifties in his last five innings, and Haseeb Hameed, the 19 year old from Lancashire.
Bangladesh has picked four spinners and just two seamers in its 14-man squad as it tries to overcome the loss of Mustafizur Rahman, its star pace bowler recuperating from surgery on his shoulder.
Although Bangladesh is a vastly improved ODI side, it has struggled to compete with the best in Test cricket and Chandika Hathurusinghe, its coach, has acknowledged a lack of quality bowlers. “We haven’t got our right combination in Test cricket,” he said. “I have been fighting to find bowlers who can get 20 wickets in Tests.”
After this Test, the teams will head to Dhaka for the second and final Test beginning on October 28. England will then travel to India for a five-Test tour.
Teams (from)
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt, wk), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Kamrul Islam, Nurul Hasan (wk).
England: Alastair Cook (capt), Ben Duckett, Haseeb Hameed, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jos Buttler, Gary Ballance, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Zafar Ansari, Gareth Batty, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Jake Ball.