Before the ODI World Cup every international team was busy playing one-day cricket in this calendar year. Bangladesh have also played 29 ODIs. They also played 11 T20s.
With so much white-ball cricket Bangladesh played just two Test matches in this year. As those were played against Ireland and Afghanistan at home, they were not much discussed despite Tigers clinching them convincingly.
Bangladesh are going to return to red-ball cricket through the two-match Test series against New Zealand. The series, which will start on 28 November, will also be the first one for Bangladesh in the new cycle of the World Test Championship.
Bangladesh will play 14 Test matches in the next 14 months. There are some T20 matches as the T20 World Cup will take place next year.
Apart from the Asia Cup and World Cup, the Tigers have to play 20 matches in bilateral series. Comparatively, the number of ODI is much less, only 12 throughout the year.
Bangladesh team has never played so many Tests in such a short period of time. It is going to be a big test for the Test team players. A Bangladesh team pacer is already in fear, 'It will be difficult, especially for the pacers. Everyone has to play back and forth.'
We had a bad time in the World Cup. It is a big challenge for us and a big chance to get out of that. It is also a chance to show how good we are
The beginning of this tough endeavour will start with a familiar opponent. New Zealand is said to be ‘familiar’ because Bangladesh get regular chances of playing bilateral series only with them among the big teams. Be it white-ball cricket or red-ball cricket, Bangladesh have been regularly visiting New Zealand since 2016-17.
But the series between Bangladesh and New Zealand is all about the domination of the latter.
In 17 Tests between the sides only three ended in draws. Bangladesh won just one match. New Zealand won the rest of the matches.
Bangladesh won the only Test at Mount Maunganui last year. The team that was formed with Shakib and Tamim beat the erstwhile Test champion New Zealand. Thanks to that victory Bangladesh also shared the series.
After the Test series last year, the two teams are going to meet for the first time in Bangladesh's own ground. Bangladesh's Test victory against New Zealand is only one, but it is very important for Nazmul-Mominul.
We want to start this cycle fresh. Boys are spirited. We will try to add as many wins as possible in this cycle. Winning away from home is very important
The last happy memory of Bangladesh against the Kiwis is that Mount Maunganui Test as well. After that they could not be beaten in any other version.
New Zealand, who played in the recently concluded World Cup semi-final, will also start their Test Championship campaign with the series. This is the third cycle of the championship. The champions of 2021 will be eager to grab points from this series.
All-rounder Glenn Philips also said so in the New Zealand cricket social media, “We want to start this cycle fresh. Boys are spirited. We will try to add as many wins as possible in this cycle. Winning away from home is very important, we have to get our rhythm before the home season starts in the summer.”
For Bangladesh, however, coming out of the World Cup disappointment is more important than eying on the Test Championship. Wicketkeeper batter Nurul Hasan said so as the representative of the team at a press conference before leaving for Sylhet on Wednesday night, “We had a bad time in the World Cup. It is a big challenge for us and a big chance to get out of that. It is also a chance to show how good we are.”
Bangladesh and New Zealand both practiced at Sylhet International Stadium on Thursday and Friday.