‘Big dream to play Tests against Australia in Australia’

Bangladesh batter Mushfiqur Rahim said on Friday that it is always a dream to play Tests against Australia in Australia as the Tigers brace for their first tour down under in 23 years.

Bangladesh have only ever toured Australia once in 2003 since attaining the Test status three years prior to that, and are scheduled to visit again in August for two Test matches in Darwin and Queensland.  

Speaking ahead of the second and final Test against visiting Pakistan in Sylhet, Mushfiq also noted that this time around they will be better placed to put up a challenge owing to their impressive array of fast bowlers.

“The thing that you said, obviously it is a big dream to play Tests against Australia in Australia. And we have a speedster like Nahid Rana in our ranks, not only him, we have Taskin (Ahmed), Shoriful (Islam), we have a pace battery of around eight-10 bowlers, I hope they stay fit and deliver the goods Inshallah,” the 39-year old told the media on Friday.

The Tigers lost both those Tests in 2003 and have only ever played four other five-day games against the Aussies, winning once in 2017 in Mirpur.