Bangladesh are up against a stiff task against moral boosting Zimbabwe in their second and final Test match of the series.
The home side are 1-0 down, and facing a situation where they can lose the series against Zimbabwe.
Among other hurdles, makeshift captain Mahmudullah will also encounter an extra challenge as he has to lead from the front in the upcoming match to save the series for the Tigers.
In the absence of the experienced Tamim Iqbal and Shakib al Hasan, Mahmudullah needs to score big in the middle-order, along with wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim to produce a solid platform for Bangladesh.
Despite a 151-run defeat in the first Test at Sylhet International Stadium, @BCBtigers are confident of a comeback when their second and final Test against @ZimCricketv gets underway at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Sundayhttps://t.co/bfnB240OKT#BCB #zc
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) November 9, 2018
Mahmudullah’s performances in the shorter formats over the years are quite impressive and he has proven himself as one of the key figures for the Tigers in ODIs and T20Is.
But his overall Test form is not that impressive as he has scored 2,100 runs in his 40-match Test career with an average of 29.16.
Mahmudullah’s performance in Tests this year is also below-par as he has totaled only 169 runs in his last 10 innings with an average of 21.12.
“I always believe that you have to lead from the front if you want to be a good captain. I always try to do it on and off the field. And also as I am a batsman, I always try to perform with the bat and help my team. As I have no significant big scores as a batsman in the last three or four matches, I am thinking about my own batting performance. I will try my best to perform well in this Test,” captain Mahmudullah said during the pre-match press conference at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Saturday.