Miraz said the team wanted to make the most of the early moisture in the field and hoped the top batsmen would build partnerships later in the chase.
“We want to bowl first. There is a bit of humidity and we want to take advantage of it. Yes, I think we (need) to make a partnership, the batsmen in the top order. I think it is a great opportunity for every batsman. I think the wickets look good. If we play well, it will definitely be better. (Asked about the previous four series) I think it was a great way (and we did the last series) and we made a great moment, we made it the last series that was excellent and the confidence here, but also this is the new ground, the new conditions, so we have to play positively.”
Zimbabwe captain Richard Ngarava said his side was ready for the challenge despite the switch from Test cricket to the 50-over format.
“Not really. I feel that the team is prepared and all the batsmen are quite ready to take what comes our way. Well, of course you have to make a few tweaks going into the ODI series, which is very different from test cricket where you just wait for that bad ball. But quite happy with how we went about things and the batsmen were only slightly changed. in Wellington, Ryan Burl, Raza and in the 15 today we have Raza, which is quite nice to have back in the team.”
Pitch expected to help the seamers early
The pitch report suggested that the new surface could help the fast bowlers in the opening hours because of the humidity, grass cover and cloudy conditions.
The longest boundary measures 75 meters, while the shortest straight boundary is 68 meters. The surface has a full cover of grass and is expected to offer extra bounce, seam movement and some nip before the innings.
Cracks in front of the stumps could also cause the ball to behave unpredictably if the bowlers hit the right spots. The batsmen are expected to face the toughest challenge during the first 10 overs before the conditions improve to bat later in the day.
Playing XI
Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana.
Zimbabwe: Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza, Wessly Madhevere, Clive Madande (wk), Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava (capt), Blessing Muzarabani.