Bangladesh continue practice for Zimbabwe Tests in full swing

Bangladesh national cricketers continued their practice sessions in full swing ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe in Sylhet, aiming to adapt to the longer version format as quickly as possible.

The practice began on Sunday, with almost all cricketers joining to take adequate preparation to switch gears for the Test format.

The players included in the Test squad were recently playing Dhaka Premier League (DPL), a 50-over format of cricket, for their respective domestic side. Just a day after finishing the group phase of the DPL, they joined the practice session for Test series.

Zimbabwe meanwhile arrived in Bangladesh on Tuesday. According to Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Press release, the visitors will fly to Sylhet on the morning of April 16.

Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the first Test, starting from April 20, while Chattogram will host the second and final Test, beginning on April 28.

Zimbabwe named an experienced Test team with Sean Williams and Craig Ervine returning to the fold. Wellington Masakadza also made room in the Zimbabwe Test squad, who will play a Test series in Bangladesh after a four-year gap.

Bangladesh and Zimbabwe so far have met 18 times in Test format with Bangladesh winning eight matches and losing seven. The rest of the three Tests ended in a draw.

This marks Zimbabwe's sixth visit to Bangladesh, following previous tours in 2001, 2005, 2014, 2018 and 2020. Overall, they have played 10 Tests on Bangladesh's soil, winning only two.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday confirmed the itinerary for India's upcoming white-ball tour of Bangladesh in August. The tour will feature three One Day Internationals and an equal number of Twenty20 Internationals.

The Indian team is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on August 13. The ODI series will commence at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS), Mirpur, which will host the first two matches on August 17 and 20 before the third ODI shifts to Chattogram.

Chattogram'sBirShresthaShaheed Flight Lieutenant MotiurRahman Cricket Stadium (BSSFLMRCS) will host the third and final ODI on August 23.

The T20I series will get underway on August 26 at the BSSFLMRCS, Chattogram. The second T20I will be held on August 29, followed by the third and final match on August 31, both at SBNCS, Mirpur.

 This marks the first-ever bilateral T20I series between Bangladesh and India hosted on Bangladeshi soil. India will depart Bangladesh on September 1.

"This series promises to be one of the most exciting and anticipated events in our home calendar," BCB Chief Executive Officer NizamUddinChowdhury said.

"India have set the benchmark in international cricket across all formats and the cricket-loving millions in both countries are sure to enjoy this contest."

 "Bangladesh and India have played some very competitive matches in recent years, and I am confident that this will be another hard-fought and entertaining series," he concluded.

Bangladesh won the last two ODI series between the two sides at home in 2015 and 2022. On both occasions, they won the series by a 2-1 margin.