--- title: "Bangladesh vs Pakistan 1st Test Preview: Form Guide Team News & Key Players" canonical: "https://readcricket.com/2026/05/07/bangladesh-vs-pakistan-1st-test-2026-predicted-xis-pitch-report-preview-cricket-news/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Habil Ahmed" section: "International Cricket" published: "2026-05-07T11:42:00Z" modified: "2026-05-07T11:42:00Z" --- # Bangladesh vs Pakistan 1st Test Preview: Form Guide Team News & Key Players **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](https://www.tigercricket.com.bd/)** men’s team take on **[Pakistan](https://www.pcb.com.pk/)** 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. > Trophy revealed. The stage is set for Dutch-Bangla Bank Bangladesh 🆚Pakistan Test Series 2026. Let the Test war begin 🏏💪 [pic.twitter.com/ijQx8x7SN4](https://t.co/ijQx8x7SN4) > > — Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) [May 7, 2026](https://twitter.com/BCBtigers/status/2052304725228601686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ## **Bangladesh vs Pakistan Match Details** | **Match** | Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 1st Test | | --- | --- | | **Date and Time** | 5:00 AM (GMT), 9:30 AM (IST) | | **Venue** | Sher-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 Date** | **Opponent** | **Result** | **Margin** | **Venue** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **19 November 2025** | Ireland | Won | 217 runs | Mirpur | | **11 November 2025** | Ireland | Won | Inns & 47 runs | Sylhet | | **25 June 2025** | Sri Lanka | Lost | Inns & 78 runs | Colombo (SSC) | | **17 June 2025** | Sri Lanka | Draw | – | Galle | | **28 April 2025** | Zimbabwe | Won | Inns & 106 runs | Chattogram | ## 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 Date** | **Opponent** | **Result** | **Margin** | **Venue** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **20 October 2025** | South Africa | Lost | 8 wickets | Rawalpindi | | **12 October 2025** | South Africa | Won | 93 runs | Lahore | | **25 January 2025** | West Indies | Lost | 120 runs | Multan | | **17 January 2025** | West Indies | Won | 127 runs | Multan | | **3 January 2025** | South Africa | Lost | 10 wickets | Cape 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 Played** | 15 | | --- | --- | | **Bangladesh Won** | 2 | | **Pakistan Won** | 12 | | **Drawn** | 1 | | **First Meeting** | 29 August 2001 (Pak won by inns & 264 runs) | | **Most Recent Meeting** | 30 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 > Pre-Series Media Conference: Shan Masood, Captain Pakistan \ > \ > Dutch-Bangla Bank Bangladesh 🆚 Pakistan Test Series 2026! 🏏🔥\ > \ > SBNCS, Dhaka[#BCB](https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#Cricket](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#Bangladesh](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#Pakistan](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#Tigers](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tigers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [pic.twitter.com/ivfg1xuF8p](https://t.co/ivfg1xuF8p) > > — Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) [May 7, 2026](https://twitter.com/BCBtigers/status/2052316123962773875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ## **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. ****Stay up to date with all the latest [international cricket content](https://readcricket.com/international-cricket/) with ReadCricket.****