Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe, 2nd Test: Match preview and stats
What's the story
Bangladesh are under severe pressure going into the second Test match against Zimbabwe, after a three-wicket loss in Sylhet.
The 2nd and final Test of the series will be played on a batting-friendly pitch at Chattogram, which calls for an extraordinary show from Bangladesh's bowlers.
Zimbabwe, despite dominating most of the Sylhet match, held on for a win and now would hope to win an overseas series against Bangladesh.
Here are all the key details ahead of the match.
Bowling prowess
Zimbabwe's bowling attack leads to Sylhet victory
Zimbabwe's brilliant bowling line-up, especially their pace attack, was instrumental in putting them in a strong position in Sylhet.
Blessing Muzarabani led the attack with career-best match figures of 9/122, while Richard Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi provided strong, relentless support.
Meanwhile, Wellington Masakadza 5/41 and Wessly Madhevere 2/34 were able to rattle Bangladesh's lower order time and again in the match.
Batting worries
Zimbabwe will hope to improve their batting
Despite their success in Sylhet, Zimbabwe gave some concerns over their batting performance.
Brian Bennett scored two fifties while Sean Williams contributed with a half-century in the first innings.
However, except Williams and Bennett, the top and middle order faltered, with Zimbabwe otherwise having to rely on their lower-order to score runs
Further, Nyasha Mayavo's wicketkeeping came under scrutiny after he dropped several easy catches during the match.
Team issues
Bangladesh's batting struggles and team changes
Bangladesh are struggling with some major problems, especially in their batting line-up.
Their openers haven't scored an individual hundred or put up a century stand together in over two years.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has been hit-or-miss while Mominul Haque hasn't scored big since the India tour.
Meanwhile, questions over Mushfiqur Rahim's place in the team are also increasing as he hasn't scored a half-century in his last 12 innings.
Match preparation
Bangladesh's bowling attack and pitch conditions
With Nahid Rana unavailable due to his PSL commitments, Bangladesh's bowling attack will be key in Chattogram.
Tanzim Hasan is likely to join Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed as the third seamer.
Meanwhile, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who claimed 10 wickets in Sylhet, and Taijul Islam will comprise the hosts' spin attack.
Notably, the Chattogram pitch is Bangladesh's best batting pitch, putting more pressure on the bowlers.
Stats
A look at the key stats
Mehidy is aiming to complete 2,000 runs in Test cricket. He owns 1,964 runs from 52 matches at 23.10 with the help of 1 ton and nine fifties.
Mominul can become the 3rd-highest scorer for Bangladesh in Tests. Mominul, who owns 4,515 runs, can surpass Shakib Al Hasan's tally of 4,609 runs.
For Zimbabwe, Sean Williams is nearing 1,500 Test runs. He owns 1,431 runs at 44.71.
XI
A glance at the probable XIs of both teams
Bangladesh probable XI: Anamul Haque*, Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali (wk), Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan.
Zimbabwe probable XI: Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Nick Welch, Craig Ervine (c), Sean Williams, Wessly Madhevere, Nyasha Mayavo (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Victor Nyauchi.
Bangladesh have brought in Anamul Haque to boost their top order. They have also added the uncapped left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam.
H2H
A look at both teams' head-to-head record in Tests
Bangladesh had dominated recent encounters, winning four of their last five matches against Zimbabwe before the narrow loss in the Sylhet Test.
They will now look to regroup and return to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe, having broken their losing streak with that victory, will aim to build on their momentum.
In the overall head-to-head, both teams are tied with eight wins each, while three of their 19 Test meetings have ended in draws.
Information
Weather forecast and pitch conditions
As mentioned, Chattogram is Bangladesh's best batting pitch, with the last two teams batting first here each scoring over 500 runs. It's difficult to bowl teams out on this surface, which could be detrimental for the home side as they look to level the series. According to ESPNcricinfo, there is also a forecast for rain on the first three days of the match.