Tigers pursue revival at unforgiving ZACS

Bangladesh will look to bounce back in Chattogram during the series-concluding second Test against South Africa, scheduled to start today, in an attempt to avoid a series defeat against a SENA country on home soil after 14 years.

After losing the series opener by seven wickets within the fourth day in Dhaka, the Tigers find themselves under serious pressure, and their abysmal track record at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in recent years leaves little room for optimism.

The hosts have not tasted victory at the ZACS in six years -- with five losses and one draw -- following a 64-run victory over West Indies in 2018. In 24 Tests overall, Bangladesh have won just two, while drawing seven.

The pressure on the Tigers stems not only from their poor batting performance following the successful Pakistan Tests but also from off-field issues. The latest emerged when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed a desire to step down from the role after this series.

Shanto, who had an extended batting practice session in the nets amid scorching heat and humid conditions yesterday, seemingly skipped the pre-match press conference intentionally, prompting team management to send left-arm spinner Taijul Islam in his place.

Taijul, who earlier had a playful practice session with spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed -- the latter seen batting against Taijul and uncapped Hasan Murad at the nets -- was made uncomfortable by a barrage of questions about Shanto's stance.

Initially, Taijul avoided commenting on the issue, saying he was unaware of it. Later, however, he admitted that some players may face problems with off-field issues cropping up right before a match -- a quite regular occurrence in Bangladesh cricket over the past year or so.

The left-arm spinner, who crossed 200 Test wickets milestone with eight scalps in the preceding fixture, also addressed that the batters are failing to meet expectations, stressing on the need to convert the starts into big scores and build partnerships.

"To be honest, we are not performing as a unit… Everyone is working hard and trying their heart and soul. But nothing is happening," he said, adding that the team management might field an extra bowler, given the hot weather and expected flat pitch in store.

However, after wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali Anik was ruled out of this Test following a concussion sustained during Sunday's training, the team management may field an extra pacer alongside Hasan Mahmud. Bangladesh are also likely to go with a three-pronged spin attack, featuring Taijul, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, and local boy Nayeem Hasan.

Meanwhile, South Africa are a much-relieved team after ending their decade-long drought of Test wins in the subcontinent. Yet the weather is a concern for them, noted stand-in skipper Aiden Markram, requiring the Proteas to "start from zero" in this contest.

"From a weather point of view, there isn't too much we can do besides hydrating well and making sure to keep our bodies in the healthiest way," Markram said.

"… It's a brand new game… We place emphasis on that, and when we do, not just here but anywhere in the world, we can start on the front foot," he concluded.