Ashraful looking for draw against Kiwis
Friday, 17 October 2008
CHITTAGONG, Oct 16 (UNB): The first Test of the two-match BRAC Bank Test Series involving hosts Bangladesh and touring New Zealand begins today (Friday) at the Bir Shreshtho Shaheed Ruhul Amin Stadium in Chittagong with Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful looking for a draw carrying the match to the 5th day.
This will be the 7th test match between the two teams since 2001. Bangladesh earlier lost all the six Test matches against the Black Caps including innings defeats on five occasions.
Bangladesh's best performance over New Zealand was a nine-wicket defeat in Dunedin Test in January this year.
State owned Bangladesh Television will telecast live the 1st test match that starts at 9:30 am.
Bangladesh will play the test match against the Black Caps after long seven months following a home series against South Africa in February-March this year, while the Kiwis play the test match after four months following their last test against England in June.
The youthful Bangladesh team, composed of players having an average age of 22 years, made practice at the games venue Thursday morning ahead of the test series, while Daniel Vettori's team made their practice in the afternoon.
Addressing a press conference Thursday, Bangladesh Captain Mohammad Ashraful said: "We will try our best to carry the match to the 5th day for making a draw after battling with New Zealand in each session."
He said: "We had a good practice… wicket is batting-friendly. If the boys click in batting, it will not be difficult for us to make a draw."
New Zealand Captain Daniel Vettori said: "We are thinking of nothing but winning."
BCB announced the final national squad for the first test dropping left-arm medium pacer Syed Rasel and pacer Mahbubul Alam Robin while Naeem Islam makes his test debut today (Friday).
Bangladesh squad: Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (vice captain), Junaed Siddiqui, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicket keeper), Mehrab Hossain Jr, Rajin Saleh, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak and Shahadat Hossain Razib; 12th man - Mahbubul Alam Robin.
This will be the 7th test match between the two teams since 2001. Bangladesh earlier lost all the six Test matches against the Black Caps including innings defeats on five occasions.
Bangladesh's best performance over New Zealand was a nine-wicket defeat in Dunedin Test in January this year.
State owned Bangladesh Television will telecast live the 1st test match that starts at 9:30 am.
Bangladesh will play the test match against the Black Caps after long seven months following a home series against South Africa in February-March this year, while the Kiwis play the test match after four months following their last test against England in June.
The youthful Bangladesh team, composed of players having an average age of 22 years, made practice at the games venue Thursday morning ahead of the test series, while Daniel Vettori's team made their practice in the afternoon.
Addressing a press conference Thursday, Bangladesh Captain Mohammad Ashraful said: "We will try our best to carry the match to the 5th day for making a draw after battling with New Zealand in each session."
He said: "We had a good practice… wicket is batting-friendly. If the boys click in batting, it will not be difficult for us to make a draw."
New Zealand Captain Daniel Vettori said: "We are thinking of nothing but winning."
BCB announced the final national squad for the first test dropping left-arm medium pacer Syed Rasel and pacer Mahbubul Alam Robin while Naeem Islam makes his test debut today (Friday).
Bangladesh squad: Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (vice captain), Junaed Siddiqui, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicket keeper), Mehrab Hossain Jr, Rajin Saleh, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak and Shahadat Hossain Razib; 12th man - Mahbubul Alam Robin.