Pakistan sent in to bat first against Bangladesh in second Test

RAWALPINDI (AFP): Bangladesh won the toss and sent Pakistan in to bat in the second Test on Saturday after the first day’s washout on Friday due to rain in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan have only four days to square the two-match series after they lost the first Test, also in Rawalpindi, by 10 wickets.

Bangladesh, whose win was their first in 14 Tests against Pakistan, brought in fast bowler Taskin Ahmed for unfit Shariful Islam. Pakistan rested new-ball bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, bringing in fast bowler Mir Hamza and spinner Abrar Ahmed.

The two-match series is part of the World Test Championship’s third cycle.

The rain was a bad omen for a Pakistan team after Bangladesh won the first Test, also in Rawalpindi, last Sunday.

A Shan Masood-led team with an all-pace bowling attack suffered a stunning loss on the final day of the first Test and now face a must-win task in the second Test.

Bangladesh on the other hand are looking to record a historic first Test series victory over Pakistan.

Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s red ball coach, has said the bowlers would need to embrace a ruthless approach in the final Test.

“Our [over] rates were very poor in [the] first Test and that is unacceptable, as simple as that,” Gillespie said adding that the bowlers will play this match with a new approach in order to make an all-out effort to take 20 wickets.

“We want to be ruthless with discipline and line and length. We want to keep going at the [opponent] batsmen. We want to keep hitting good spots on the pitch, challenging the opposition’s defence constantly again and again.”