Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 2025: Match Preview, 1st Test

The Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the opening Test of the two-match series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe from April 20, making it Zimbabwe’s first red-ball tour to Bangladesh in five years. 

The home team will be without a few familiar names, with injured Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das rested, and Shahadat Hossain dropped. But Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto returns after recovering from injury. Either Khaled Ahmed or Tanzim Hasan is likely to take Taskin’s place. Meanwhile, Nahid Rana will have a big responsibility to bag crucial wickets. His pace and bounce have already troubled top batters, and conditions in Sylhet could make him a crucial asset.

The batting might be a bit of a concern. Apart from Mushfiqur Rahim, who has a strong record against Zimbabwe including two double-hundreds in his last three matches against them, the rest of the top order has been out of form. Shanto himself needs runs, while Jaker Ali, who had a good time against West Indies, will have to adapt well.

Zimbabwe will see the return of captain Craig Ervine and all-rounder Sean Williams, who is a great player of spin. Their pace trio of Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, and Victor Nyauchi is expected to make good use of the Sylhet surface.

Interestingly, Zimbabwe’s last Test win in Bangladesh came in Sylhet back in 2018. It is also a special venue for Bangladesh, with several local players including Zakir Hasan, Jaker Ali, Hasan Mahmud, and Khaled Ahmed.

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