RAWALPINDI: Bangladesh are hoping to secure a first Test-series victory over Pakistan, who have left out star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi for the second match starting in Rawalpindi on Friday. The visitors upset a normally formidable home team with a clinical ten-wicket display in the first Test — Bangladesh’s first win in over 14 encounters against Pakistan.

But the hosts have been struggling through a lean spell of late, bowing out early in this year’s T20 World Cup. Their last Test series was a whitewash in a three-match tour to Australia. Star pacer Afridi struggled to find his rhythm through much of the innings, with Pakistan’s head coach Jason Gillespie saying he will be rested to allow him to spend time with his new-born son and family.

“Obviously Shaheen will miss out on this game. We had a good conversation with him and he fully understands and appreciates the thinking behind it. We are just looking at what our best combination is for this game,” Gillespie said.

The home team have recalled spinner Abrar Ahmed after going with an all-pace attack in the first Test. Former Australian pacer Gillespie admitted it will be a challenge to square the series. “We want to go out there and play positive,” said Gillespie, who is in his first series with Pakistan. “It’s about scoring lots of singles and with our bowling we want to be ruthless and challenging the opposition batters.”

But he backed under-pressure skipper Shan Masood who failed with the bat with six and 14 in the first match, and has lost all four of his Tests as captain. “Shan is a very positive captain,” said Gillespie.

“He wants to play and win games .... we showed that with our intent in the first game but it didn’t quite work out and that’s credit to our opposition. “That game is gone, but what we can do is focus on the game starting tomorrow.”

‘Morale very good’

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe was confident his side could recreate their heroics from the first Test. “The morale of the players is very, very good,” said former Sri Lankan batsmen Hathurusinghe. “Obviously beating Pakistan in Pakistan is not an easy task.”

Pakistan were rattled by the Bangladesh response to their first-innings total of 448-6, crumbling for a paltry 146 in their second outing. A brilliant 191 by veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim on a flat Rawalpindi pitch helped the visitors rack up their highest-ever total against Pakistan of 565 to take a crucial 117-run first-innings lead.

Spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4-21) and Shakib Al Hasan (3-44) then rocked the hosts and made them rue not playing a frontline spinner. But Hathurusinghe said the second game would be a big challenge. “They are a very strong team and we expect a very good fight in the second Test as well but we will not be different from the first game and know our strength as well as that of Pakistan’s.” 

Since gaining Test status in 2000, Bangladesh have only won two of their 32 overseas series with wins in the West Indies (2009) and Zimbabwe (2021), drawing three and losing 27.

Bangladesh’s pace attack will be boosted by the return of experienced Taskin Ahmed who recovered from a shoulder injury but will have a tie with Nahid Rana for a place in the eleven. Intermittent rain and bad weather in Rawalpindi prevented both teams from having a practice session. — AFP