Bangladesh vs Pakistan 1st Test Preview: Form Guide Team News & Key Players

Habil AhmedHabil Ahmed
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At a Glance

  • Bangladesh vs Pakistan preview with form guide team news and predicted XIs
  • This series is an opportunity for both teams to move up the WTC table
  • Bangladesh beat Pakistan 2-0 in their most recent Test series

Nearly six months on since their last Test match, the Bangladesh men’s team take on Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka. This Pakistan vs Bangladesh series offers both teams an opportunity to climb up the World Test Championship table.

Two games into the 2025-27 cycle, Pakistan find themselves in fifth place with 12 points out of a possible 24. The hosts, on the other hand, are in eighth place with four out of 24 points.

Bangladesh vs Pakistan Match Details

MatchBangladesh vs Pakistan, 1st Test
Date and Time5:00 AM (GMT), 9:30 AM (IST)
VenueSher-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka

Bangladesh Form Guide Heading Into the Series

The Tigers come into the series on the back of a 2-0 home win over Ireland back in November 2025. The Tigers were dominant in that series, dismantling the Irish by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test, before registering a 217-run victory in the second.

Bangladesh, however, are without a win in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. A draw at Galle and an innings defeat in Colombo saw them lose the series against Sri Lanka 1-0.

Bangladesh Last 5 Test Matches

Start DateOpponentResultMarginVenue
19 November 2025IrelandWon217 runsMirpur
11 November 2025IrelandWonInns & 47 runsSylhet
25 June 2025Sri LankaLostInns & 78 runsColombo (SSC)
17 June 2025Sri LankaDrawGalle
28 April 2025ZimbabweWonInns & 106 runsChattogram

Bangladesh Key Players to Watch

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto struck form at the start of 2025, scoring three hundreds and averaging 59.1 in that time. While he is yet to score a fifty against Bangladesh, that’s a record he will want to set right.

All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz picked up 10 wickets at an average of 18.6 the last time these two sides played. He also averages 43.6 in Tests against Pakistan, his highest such rate against any team.

Taijul Islam has picked up 33 wickets in six Tests since the start of 2025, the most by an Asian player in that time after Mohammed Siraj’s 43 scalps. He is also the only Bangladesh player with 250 wickets to his name in the format.

Pakistan Form Guide

Pakistan drew their last Test series 1-1 against South Africa. The Shaheens have alternated between losses and wins since the start of 2025, a run of two wins and three losses in five Tests.

The upcoming series could also provide Pakistan with an opportunity to exact a little revenge on the side that completed a 2-0 whitewash the last time they faced each other in the format back in 2024.

Pakistan Last 5 Test Matches

Start DateOpponentResultMarginVenue
20 October 2025South AfricaLost8 wicketsRawalpindi
12 October 2025South AfricaWon93 runsLahore
25 January 2025West IndiesLost120 runsMultan
17 January 2025West IndiesWon127 runsMultan
3 January 2025South AfricaLost10 wicketsCape Town

Pakistan Key Players to Watch

With 397 runs in five Tests since the start of 2025, captain Shan Masood is Pakistan’s highest scorer in that time. He is also the only Pakistan player to score a hundred in the format in 2025.

Off-spinner Sajid Khan was the player of the match in Pakistan’s most recent match in Bangladesh. He picked up 12 wickets in an innings win for the visitors, their 7th win in 8 matches in the country.

In contrast, 39-year-old slow left-armer Noman Ali is yet to pick up a wicket in Bangladesh, a record he will want to set right on this tour. His 30 wickets in 2025 was the most by any Pakistan bowler. He is also three away from making it to 100 wickets in the format.

Bangladesh vs Pakistan Head-to-Head

Matches Played15
Bangladesh Won2
Pakistan Won12
Drawn1
First Meeting29 August 2001 (Pak won by inns & 264 runs)
Most Recent Meeting30 August 2024 (Ban won by 6 wickets)

Predicted XIs for Bangladesh vs Pakistan 1st Test

Bangladesh Predicted XI

Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Nahid Rana

Pakistan Predicted XI

Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Fazal, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Hasan Ali 

Mirpur Pitch Conditions

The most recent Test match at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium had something in it for both batters and bowlers. All four innings saw scores of 250+, while the wickets kept falling to spinners as the game went on. 

However, captains may want to win the toss and bat first. There were runs aplenty to be scored in the first innings, with the spinners coming into the game as the match went on.

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