Bangladesh v England: Zafar Ansari and Steven Finn picked for second Test
- Published
Bangladesh v England, second Test |
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Venue: Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka Date: 28 October - 1 November Start time: 05:00 BST (Fri-Sat); 04:00 GMT (Sun-Tue) |
Coverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 LW, BBC Sport app & online; live text commentary on BBC Sport website |
England spinner Zafar Ansari will make his Test debut against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday, with pace bowler Steven Finn replacing Stuart Broad.
Slow left-armer Ansari, 24, has been selected instead of his Surrey team-mate Gareth Batty, who took 4-116 in England's 22-run win in the first Test.
England will play three spinners - Ansari, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.
Broad has been rested for the match, so the recalled Finn joins Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes in the seam attack.
Ansari missed the chance to make his England debut in 2015 after dislocating his left thumb, and injured the thumb again in May this year.
Off-spinner Batty, 39, featured in his first Test since 2005 when he was selected for the opening game in Chittagong - setting a new world record after missing England's 142 intervening Tests.
England will play five Tests in India after the Bangladesh series, and England captain Alastair Cook has stressed the need for squad rotation this winter.
"Clearly we had the opportunity to not rotate, but the last thing we wanted was to go to India with too many people who haven't played much cricket," Cook told BBC Test Match Special.
"We don't know a huge amount about either Batty or Ansari in terms of Test cricket, we could easily have picked them the other way round but they will get one Test each and that is important.
"In an ideal world we would have liked Jake Ball to play too but Chris Woakes needs another run-out."
Cook also confirmed that all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson is back bowling indoors in England as he recovers from a shoulder injury but he will not be rushed back.
Anderson has already been ruled out of the first Test in India on 9 November and is a doubt for the second, which starts eight days later.
Ansari said he would prepare for his Test debut by catching up with the final of the Great British Bake Off and believes the helpful conditions in Dhaka will improve his bowling.
"Gareth Batty bowled very well in the first Test and deserves to keep his place in the side but they want to see their options for India," Ansari told TMS. "We've spoken, he's very comfortable and he will support me.
"People will be constantly making judgments about my performance but I'm on the tour to India and I've been bowling well in the nets. I see this as the first game of many.
"In England as a spin bowler most of the time you are fighting the conditions so this changes your relationship with the ball. You can let the pitch do some of the work for you out here.
"It is great preparation for coming up against some of the best batsmen in the world out in India."
England XI for second Test in Bangladesh: Alastair Cook (capt), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Gary Ballance, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Zafar Ansari, Steven Finn.
Bangladesh needed '1% more'
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim admitted Bangladesh "are still hurting" from their agonising defeat to England in the first Test and called for his batsmen to be more responsible in Dhaka.
The hosts reached 227-5 in Chittagong chasing down a target of 286 with over a day to spare, but were bowled out for 263 as England won by 22 runs.
Mushfiqur said: "We are still hurting from the loss in Chittagong so it is best to move on from that game.
"We know that had we given 1% more, the Test would have been in our favour. We were on the back foot playing our first Test after 15 months. We weren't the favourites but the boys did well. I have always wanted our team to be consistent in Tests.
"We would like to take the positive from that game and use them in Dhaka."
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