Internet Desk: The Second and final Test of two-match Rocket Test series between the hosts Bangladesh and Australia will begin from tomorrow at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong. Bangladesh won the first Test by 20 runs and lead by 1-0 in the series. It was the tiger’s first Test win against Australia.
Tigers will aim to seal their first ever series victory against Australia in Test. So far Bangladesh clinched series victory against Zimbabwe and West Indies.
The weather held up in Dhaka despite the forecast suggesting otherwise, but the two teams may not escape rain Chittagong. The devastating monsoon floods have left a third of the country under water, and though trivial in comparison to the human toll, heavy rain is predicted for each of the five days of the Test in the coastal city.
Incidentally, Chittagong holds some fond memories for the Australians. The only previous time it played a Test there, in 2006, Australia won by an innings and 80 runs with Jason Gillespie, the night watchman, scoring an unbeaten double-century in what turned out to be the last of his 71 Tests.
But Bangladesh is a more formidable opponent now and the biggest challenge facing Australia’s players is to find a way to combat the home team’s spinners. All but one of Australia’s 20 wickets in the series opener fell to spin, and the Chittagong pitch is expected to favour the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taijul Islam and Nsair Hosain again.
Australia has recalled Steve O’Keefe, the left-arm spinner who took 19 wickets during the tour of India earlier this year, for the injured Josh Hazlewood and could play him alongside Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar, their frontline spinners.
“The way the wicket was you are not going to have too many overs bowled by the quicks as the game goes on and we expect the same sort of pitch,” said Lehmann, hinting at a return for O’Keefe.
Match will start from 10 am local time.