Bangladesh will soon take the field, facing South Africa in the second and final Test of a two-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, starting at 10:00 AM.
After losing the first match, Bangladesh is in a critical situation. To keep the series alive, they must win; even a draw would secure the series for South Africa.
Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team was outplayed in the Mirpur Test against South Africa, as well as in the recent two-Test series against India, which left the team demoralized with consecutive losses.
Despite this, the team has no time to dwell on past setbacks. With an opportunity to level the series and possibly achieve their first Test win against South Africa, Shanto’s team is motivated to take on a new challenge.
Bangladesh aims to end their winless record in Tests against South Africa, with 13 losses and two draws from 15 matches. The Tigers are eager to rewrite history in Chattogram.
To achieve this, Bangladesh will field a strong team. The squad remains largely the same as the previous Test, with only one change: Khaled Ahmed replaces Taskin Ahmed.
The major surprise, however, is the absence of Zakir Ali, who scored a fifty in the previous match. Despite being in the squad, the newly debuted batter will miss the second Test due to injury. Mahidul Islam Ankon has been called up as his replacement.
Ankon, a familiar face in domestic cricket, has been performing consistently. In 43 first-class matches, he has scored 1,934 runs at an average of 30.69, with three centuries and eight fifties. In the ongoing National Cricket League, he also played an impressive 118-run innings.
If all goes well, Ankon might make his debut at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium today. Even if he doesn’t debut, a change in the XI is almost certain.
Probable XI: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Kumar Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana.
