A clinical win by 8 wickets for the 2020 T20 World Cup semi-finalists, Pakistan, in the first Test against Bangladesh and they are now a win away from sealing the series.
The second and decisive Test match is set to take place at Shere Bangla National Stadium, starting this Saturday.
Despite a decent lead of 44 runs after the conclusion of the first innings, the hosts fell victim to the vicious bowling of spearhead Shaheen Afridi, who helped Pakistan bundle up the hosts for a below-par total of 157.
The openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique took complete charge of the chase stitching together 151 runs for the first wicket and ensuring a comfortable victory without disturbing their middle-order.
Our players are READY for the second Test!#BANvPAK#HarHaalMainCricket pic.twitter.com/6OVUGGXMpp
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 3, 2021
Yes, Pakistan does hold the lead but the fact that Bangladesh are a mighty side at home could make this encounter a lung-opener. Can the hosts bounce back?
Match Toss Time: 09:30 Local (03:30 GMT)
Match Start Time: 10:00 Local (04:00 GMT)
Match Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium
Head to Head
Matches played: 12, Bangladesh: 0, Pakistan: 11, Draw: 1
Weather conditions and pitch
Team News
It's great news for the hosts as their star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been deemed fit to play and he will be wasting no time and is certain to be in the mix. He is likely to replace Saif Hassan, who is ruled out due to typhoid.
The visitors are expected to play the same combination.
Probable playing Xl
Bangladesh (BAN): Shadman Islam, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (wk), Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain, Nurul Hasan
Pakistan (PAK): Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Nauman Ali, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Sajid Khan
Must-Picks
Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and Pakistani opener Abid Ali are must-picks in your fantasy line-up given their rich vein of form.
Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi and Bangladeshi spinner Taijul Islam are our other must pick for this decisive clash. Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan too has been a great asset for Bangladesh in the longest format and the conditions at Shere Bangla will be ideal for the 24-year old.
On this day 3 years ago, Mehidy Hasan Miraz picked up the best bowling figure in a match for Bangladesh in Tests.#BCB pic.twitter.com/wdsO9On4CG
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) November 30, 2021
BAN vs PAK fantasy team
Captain and Vice-captain picks
Prediction
The last encounter was rather one-sided but it was all because of the Pakistani openers, if the Bangladeshi bowlers manage to break the resistance of the openers we are certain to have an enthralling clash.
We expect an even contest between the sides and the return of Shakib will only make the hosts an even more threatening side in the given conditions. However, the Pakistani batsmen just look slightly better than Bangladesh batsmen in the current setup.
Cricwizz predicts Pakistan to win the match and win the series, 2-0.
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