Bangladesh 97/2 in 29.1 Overs | Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh Live Score One Test

Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh Live Score: Zimbabwe captain Richard Ngarava won the toss and elected to bat first against Bangladesh in the one-off Test in Harare. With plenty of grass on the surface, the hosts are backing their seam attack to make an early breakthrough.

Ngarava explains the shuffle decision

“We will bowl first. We know these conditions well, with some grass on the wicket we want to bowl first,” Zimbabwe captain Richard Ngarava said.

On the party leadership, he added: “There are no nerves. You don’t become a leader in one or two days, that’s a long time. We had a training camp that lasted almost two months.”

Shanto also wanted bowling

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted that he would also choose to bowl first.

“We would have bowled first but it doesn’t matter if we batted correctly for the first two hours. There is some moisture in the wicket and the new ball will be challenging with the extra bounce,” he said.

Shanto confirmed that Bangladesh are playing one spinner, Taijul Islam, along with three seamers.

Pitch Report | Early help for pacemakers

The Harare pitch is expected to favor fast bowlers soon.

“It’s a nice grass with good coverage. The seamers will have a big say in the first hour if they hit the right spots,” commentator Athar Ali Khan said in his pitch report.

He also advised the batsmen to remain patient, saying it is a five-day game and there is plenty of time to build an innings.

Ben Curran is confident after a long hiatus

Zimbabwe opener Ben Curran believes the break from Test cricket has helped him work on his game.

“I had a few months to simplify my game and focus on the basics. I had a good preparation with the nets and time in the middle. I also worked on my hitting skills and technique,” he said.

Announced playing XI

Zimbabwe: Ben Curran, Innocent Kaia, Brendan Taylor, Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine, Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), Wessly Madhevere, Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava (capt), Blessing Muzarabani.

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Towhid Hridoy, Amite Hasan (wk), Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain.