Bangladesh has ‘high expectations’ for Test series against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh will be without veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, who was ruled out of the Test series with a thumb injury.

FILE PHOTO: Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto holds the ODI series trophy after its victory during the third and last one-day international cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. | Photo Credit: AFP

Bangladesh host a “formidable” Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series starting on Friday and ambition is growing after years of struggle.

Bangladesh finished last in the 2021-2023 World Test Championship, winning just one of its 12 matches.

But in its previous Test series, against New Zealand in November-December, Bangladesh won the first match in Sylhet before losing the second in Dhaka after a close fight.

“We have high expectations,” Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha told reporters in Sylhet ahead of the first Test, part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle.

“If we can win most matches at home, then we give ourselves a good chance to be in contention in the World Test Championship. This Test series gives us a good challenge, but we are up for it,” he added.

Hathurusingha warned however that he was expecting a tough challenge from his home nation Sri Lanka, calling it a “formidable, very experienced side”.

Bangladesh has won one of its 24 Tests against Sri Lanka, with its only victory coming seven years ago in Colombo.

Bangladesh will also be without veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, who was ruled out of the series with a thumb injury.

Bangladesh’s highest scorer in Tests with 5,676 runs in 88 matches was injured during Monday’s four-wicket win, when he helped the hosts to a 2-1 victory in the ODI series.

Sri Lanka won the Twenty20 series 2-1.

Bangladesh look set to rest pace bowler Shoriful Islam, one of the few all-format cricketers in the side.

“Shoriful played a lot of white-ball cricket so we are giving him time off,” said Hathurusingha.

With Taskin Ahmed also unavailable for the series, the hosts might hand debuts to uncapped fast bowlers Mushfik Hasan and Nahid Rana.

The second Test begins in Chittagong on March 30.