Miraz said the team wanted to take advantage of the early moisture in the pitch and hoped the top-order batsmen would be able to forge a partnership later on in the chase.
“We want to bowl first. There’s a bit of moisture and we want to take advantage of it. Yes, I think we (need) to build partnerships and the batsmen are at the top. I think it’s a good opportunity for every batsman. I think the wicket looks good. If we bowl well, it will definitely be more Good. (Asked about the previous four series) I think it’s a great moment for us. The way we’ve done it the past four series and the way we’ve played, it’s been really good and the confidence is there, but it’s still new territory, new conditions, so we have to play aggressively.”
Zimbabwe captain Richard Ngarava says his team is ready to take on the challenge despite cricket’s switch from Test matches to the 50-over format.
“Not really. I feel the team is ready and all the batsmen are ready for whatever comes our way. Well, of course, you have to make some adjustments going into the ODI series and it’s a lot different to Test cricket where you’re just waiting for that bad ball. But we’re really pleased with the way we’ve dealt with it and the batsmen have been very proactive about how they want to do their jobs. Yes, we only had Wellington, Ryan Bull, Raza and in 15 today we did get Raza back and it’s great to have him back in the team.”
Publicity expected to help seam sealers sooner
Pitch reports suggest the new surface could help fast bowlers during the opening hours due to wet, grass-covered and overcast conditions.
The maximum boundary is 75 meters long and the shortest straight boundary is 68 meters long. The surface has a healthy grass cover which is expected to provide extra bounce, seam movement and a bit of bite early in the innings.
Cracks in front of the stumps can also make the ball behave unpredictably if the bowler hits the right area. Batsmen are expected to face the toughest challenge in the first 10 overs before batting conditions get better later in the day.
Hit XI
Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana.
Zimbabwe: Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza, Wessly Madhevere, Clive Madande (wk), Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava (captain), Blessing Muzarabani.
