Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium pitch report and weather conditions
Chattogram's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium will play host to the first Test in Bangladesh after the COVID-19 break. West Indies will battle the hosts in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship match, which will begin on February 3.
Bangladesh have struggled to win Test matches at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Over the last 15 years, this venue has hosted 19 Test matches. The home team has emerged victorious in two Tests only. Bangladesh have lost 11 Tests, while the remaining six games did not produce a winner.
The last time the Bangladesh cricket team played a Test match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium was in September 2019. Afghanistan upset the home side in that match, defeating them by 224 runs.
The West Indies cricket team will look to draw inspiration from Afghanistan's performance and trouble Bangladesh in this series. Unfortunately, West Indies do not have a full-strength squad. The star players have opted out of this tour owing to COVID-19 concerns.
Nevertheless, the visitors can still trouble Bangladesh on this ground. Here's a look at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium's pitch report and weather conditions before the first Test.
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium pitch report
The pitch in Chattogram assists the spinners. Nathan Lyon scalped 13 wickets in the only Test he played at this venue. Shakib Al Hasan is the most successful bowler on this ground, with 60 wickets in 16 Tests.
In the previous Test at this stadium, Rahmat Shah's century powered Afghanistan to a 342-run total in the first innings. Rashid Khan's five-wicket haul restricted Bangladesh to 205 runs only. Ibrahim Zadran shone for the visitors in the second innings as his 208-ball 87 helped Afghanistan set a 398-run target for the hosts.
Shadman Islam and Shakib Al Hasan tried their best to save the Test for Bangladesh. However, Rashid Khan's six-wicket haul gave Afghanistan a historic win. Khan's extraordinary performance in the last Test match highlights the pitch's spin-friendly nature.
Bangladesh will expect Shakib, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, and Mehidy Hasan to bring their 'A' game to the table. Meanwhile, West Indies will rest their hopes on Veerasammy Permaul, Jomel Warrican, and Rahkeem Cornwall.
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium weather conditions
The weather is expected to be sunny on all five days of the Test match in Chattogram. There are no rainfall predictions as the temperature will stay around 22 degrees Celsius during the Bangladesh vs West Indies Test match.