Kaushal knock as good as a ton - Mahela

Kaushal Silva narrowly missed a maiden hundred on day two in Abu Dhabi, but Mahela Jayawardene emphasised the value of Silva's 95, which he said was as good as a ton. Silva forged a 139-run fourth-wicket stand with Jayawardene to help consolidate the advantage Sri Lanka's fast bowlers had earned on day one, and had been the more fluent partner during their association.

Silva had also hit 81 in Abu Dhabi - his first Test since 2011 - as he stepped into the opener's role made vacant by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Silva has been a middle-order batsman for his first-class side, but Jayawardene lauded the work-ethic that has bred his success in a new position.

"Kaushal was unfortunate to miss a hundred," Jayawardene said. "The little guy is batting really well. I'm very proud of him. He's a clubmate of mine and he works really hard at his game. Good to see that he has shown the same kind of commitment at this level and he fully deserves what he has got. Two good knocks, but although he didn't get a hundred, today's knock was as good as a hundred. He batted through the pressure situations and carried the team in that time. He's quite familiar getting big scores so I'm sure once he gets one he'll continue to get a few more for us."

Pakistan had only made 165 in the first innings, but Jayawardene joined Silva in a tense period, after Sri Lanka's third wicket had fallen for 88. The pair scored at only 2.4 runs per over in the first 30 overs of their stand, as Pakistan bowled with discipline.

"There was a bit of pressure early on when I was batting with Kaushal. We talked and spoke of batting long, because the longer we batted and the more tired the bowlers got, the better chances we had of getting in the game."

Jayawardene said the pitch also still posed difficulties for batsmen, despite only three wickets having fallen on day two. Sri Lanka finished the day 153 runs ahead, with six first-innings wickets still in hand.

"A first day wicket should have a little bit in it, and we were fortunate enough to win the toss and get the first use out of that. If you see, the new ball is still doing a bit. It's a wicket that you don't feel that you're set all the time. There's a little bit of spin for Saeed Ajmal as well. We had to really fight hard. Batting against Pakistan was not easy - they were not giving us easy runs. They bowled well in patches and we had to ride that through."

Batting with three stitches after splitting the webbing between two fingers on his left hand on the first day, Jayawardene revealed why he had come in at No. 5 - one place lower than his normal position.

"Last night, Dinesh Chandimal had been ready to bat at No. 4, so we didn't want to change that too much this morning. I had already decided I would bat either 4 or 5 and not lower, because with my injury, I can't go for too many big shots and that doesn't help when you have to bat with the tail."

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Lack of discipline hurting Pakistan bowlers

Pakistan's seamers failed to create opportunities as a unit. Their bowling coach Mohammad Akram reiterated that the bowlers let Sri Lanka off the hook by not maintaining any pressure

Saeed Ajmal went wicket-less. Junaid Khan was tidy. Bilawal Bhatti was ineffective. Mohamamd Hafeez was under-bowled and Rahat Ali was unlucky. That was the tale of Pakistan's bowlers on the second day in Dubai. They managed to take only three wickets, conceded 261 as Sri Lanka walked away with a decent lead of 153 runs and six wickets in hand. Pakistan walked away with few positives in terms of the bowling, on a pitch that is expected to get flatter and test them further.

Pakistan stumbled to 165 after losing the toss yesterday - an improvement from their 99 after opting to bat first against South Africa on the same pitch in October. The toss was the difference but bowlers toiled hard on both occasions to mend the mistakes made by the batsmen from day one.

The chatter in the press box was mainly about Rahat being 'unlucky'. He toiled for 26 overs with little success, with several edges dropping in front of the slips and a regulation take that was spilled by the wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed. Ajmal was economical but unsuccessful. Bhatti, playing in his second Test, was the quickest - clocking 147 kmph - but lacked discipline. Coach Dav Whatmore said before the Test that his bowlers had the ability to take 20 wickets to win the contest but today, the bowlers struggled to take half that number to try and restrict the Sri Lankan batsmen.

"The pitch played better than yesterday and it was very obvious when they (Sri Lanka) won the toss and bowled first," Mohammad Akram, Pakistan's bowling coach, said. "There was a bit of juice in the pitch yesterday. We knew that the pitch will get better (for batting) but still, our bowlers held them well. But yes, they needed to be more disciplined."

There was occasional seam movement but the lengths didn't work and the bowlers rarely troubled the Sri Lankan batsman. Rahat was in fact lucky when Kumar Sangakkara's bat was stuck under his boot, only to be trapped in front of the stumps. It was Rahat's only wicket. Akram said the bowlers didn't put in enough effort.

"When you are bundled out for 165, there is a bit of frustration (among bowlers), and you look to pick up wickets," Akram said. "That's the time when you really need to be disciplined. At times we bowled too many loose balls as well but the effort was there as the bowlers still ran in with their heads up.

"We lacked disciplined in the bowling. You can't offer a loose ball early in the day and let the batsman get set. The pitch is far different today to what it was on the first day so had we batted sensibly and survived, it could have been a different scenario for us.

"Our bowling attack is still the best in the world. But what we are lacking is the experience and if you add the number of matches the seamers have played it is hardly 17 or 18. Unless these bowlers play, they won't thrive."

Akram wasn't worried about Ajmal being off-color, acknowledging that the conditions had challenged him. Ajmal had picked up a six-wicket haul in the Test against South Africa.

"Ajmal is our main bowler, but there was a lot of grass on the pitch and hence not much purchase for Ajmal," Akram said. "The seamers had to do the job. We need not panic and there is no reason to be frustrated if he (Ajmal) isn't picking wickets. It happens and you can't judge him on these two matches as he has done a lot in the past."

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Rasool to J&K's rescue again

At the start of the second day of the quarter-final in Baroda, Punjab employed four slips, a gully, and one man each at point and short leg. They had only scored 304 runs, but the attacking fields made it appear as if they were leading by 500. It was either a reflection of Punjab's belief in their seamers, or an assessment of Jammu & Kashmir's batting ability.

The ball was seaming, bouncing and flying past the bat. Adil Rishi had just top-edged a bouncer over the keeper's head after being hurried by the pace. Punjab were imposing themselves and for J&K, someone needed to stand up.

J&K's rise this season has been built around a potent pace attack, but they have also managed to get the necessary runs on the board. Parvez Rasool, who has brought the state's cricket to the limelight, has not shirked away from that responsibility.

On the last day of their last league game against Tripura, Rasool produced his best bowling figures of the season, and batted solidly to lead J&K past Goa into the knockouts. Today, he produced his best batting performance of the season.

Rasool started with a four through point, and reached his century with a couple more through the same region. In between, he expertly manoeuvred the ball at will and forced Punjab to spread the field. That helped his partners too as Rishi and Samiullah Beigh both thrived in his presence.

"Not everyone fires in every match," Rasool said. "It's always about two or three players scoring runs. Some of us could have played a little longer, like Adil was playing well, but got out just before lunch. Then Sami bhai was also playing well, but he too got out after being set. It could have been better."

By no means were these easy batting conditions as Punjab boast a formidable seam attack. A leaner MS Gony generated pace and bounce while VRV Singh bowled quick and got the ball to seam. Sandeep Sharma produced swing - both conventional and reverse. Rasool's plan, however, was to not let them control the game. He was unruffled, and with the ball coming onto the bat, kept the scoring rate high.

"One delivery from VRV Singh which I left thinking it was very wide outside off, but it came in sharply," he said. "It must have hit a crack. This pitch is good for fast bowlers, but it's also good for the batsmen as the ball comes on to the bat evenly."

Even as the ball grew soft and the conditions eased out, Rasool had an experienced spin combo to deal with. Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh's powers as bowlers may have waned, but at domestic level, they still remain a threat. However, a couple of drives pushed the fielders out to the boundary, and the spinners were not allowed to settle into a rhythm at all as Rasool easily worked the ball into the gaps.

Unlike Harbhajan's walloping assault on the first day, Rasool's was a measured dismantling job. Harbhajan was taken for 57 in 12 overs. Rasool eventually fell soon after reaching his century- possibly the best of his five first-class tons- but his fighting knock gave J&K the will to win. The team will need that in abundance if they are to cause an upset.

"I am very happy with my innings, especially because it came at a crucial moment for us," he said. "Unfortunately, I got out a little early. I wanted to make sure that we get the lead. But I hope our bowlers will do the job. They have started well by getting rid of the openers. The match will be decided more or less tomorrow, so we want our bowlers to rest well and come out strongly."

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CSK retain Dhoni, Raina, Ashwin, Jadeja, Bravo

Chennai Super Kings have retained MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo ahead of the IPL 2014 auction. The tournament rules allow for five players to be retained, of whom only four can be capped India players. This will leave the franchise with one right-to-match card at the auction on February 12.

Super Kings have been the most successful of the IPL franchises, making the final five times out of six, and winning on two occasions - in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, they did the double of winning the IPL and the Champions League T20. They have also been one of the most settled franchises, with the core of the team remaining the same over the seasons. So it comes as no surprise that they have retained as many players as possible here.

Among the players staying with Super Kings, captain Dhoni, batsman Raina and offspinner Ashwin have never played for another IPL franchise. Dhoni, India's captain and arguably the best finisher in limited-overs cricket, was the most expensive buy of the inaugural IPL auction back in 2008. Raina, the tournament's leading run-getter overall, is yet to miss a single match for Super Kings. Ashwin has been one of many players who adds local flavour to the team, and until the recently-concluded series against South Africa, was India's first-choice spinner.

On Boxing Day, in Durban, Ashwin - perhaps temporarily - lost that title to Jadeja. Super Kings had bought allrounder Jadeja at the 2012 auction, paying more than US$2 million for him after his bidding went into a secret tie-breaker with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. West Indies allrounder Bravo, who in 2013 set a new record for the most wickets in an IPL season, completes the list.

January 10 is the deadline for the IPL franchises to announce their list of retained players, ahead of the auction on February 12. Aside from retained players, franchises can buy back additional members of their squads at the auction via right-to-match cards. The number of right-to-match cards available to each franchise will depend on the number of players already retained. Since Super Kings have retained five players, they will have one right-to-match card at the auction.

A fixed amount will be deducted from Super Kings' auction purse of Rs 600 million (approx. US$ 9.6 million, at the current exchange rate) for each player retained: Rs 125 million for player one, Rs 95 million for player two, Rs 75 million for player three, Rs 55 million for player four and Rs 40 million for player five. That will leave the franchise with Rs 210 million to spend at the auction. This season, each squad must include no less than 16 and no more than 27 players, with a maximum of nine overseas players.

The amount deducted from the auction purse is not necessarily the IPL fee agreed to between the franchise and the retained player.

In 2011, apart from Dhoni and Raina, Super Kings had retained India batsman M Vijay and South Africa allrounder Albie Morkel. The pair missed out this time, along with former Australia batsman Michael Hussey, who was IPL 2013's leading run-getter. Super Kings tweeted confirmation of their list of retained players late on Thursday night.

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Holders England prepare for Australia heat

'Anything against Australia is hard fought' - Taylor

Big Picture

A little over four months ago, Charlotte Edwards and her team stood on the pitch in Durham and celebrated an emphatic 12-4 series victory over Australia. As their male counterparts have emphatically proved, however, back-to-back Ashes series leave little time to revel in victory. A series win over the Southern Stars in England, even a recent one, means nothing in Australian conditions, and must be put out of the visiting players' minds completely when the Test starts in Perth on Friday.

What has happened in the four months since that series ended? It might be thought that England are better prepared for the forthcoming series; Australia have played no international cricket since the Ashes ended in August, whereas many of the England squad played in the recent T20 tri-series in the Caribbean, as well as the victorious ODI series against West Indies. But Australia's players are, of course, fresh from their domestic season, the importance of which should not be underestimated. The squad in fact appears to have been selected largely on the basis of some impressive recent performances in women's state cricket.

And then, of course, there is the climate. Aside from Edwards, the England squad will have been in Perth for less than a fortnight before the Test begins in 40C heat. Practising in the nets at Loughborough with the heating on, as England have reportedly been doing, is no substitute for these conditions. There is a reason why England have only ever beaten Australia in Australia twice (in 1934-35 and in 2008); retaining the Ashes is bound to be an uphill struggle. Australia, this time around, must be the favourites.

The Format

Once again the series being played across all three formats, with points on offer for each (six for the Test - or two for a draw - and two for each of the ODIs and T20s). This multi-format structure, used for the first time in England, is still a pioneering concept, with all the possibilities yet to play out, but it is clear from what transpired last year that momentum is a massive factor: a good performance in the Test, or the subsequent ODIs, is vital for Ashes success.

The WACA, venue for the Test, will therefore be a crucial battleground for the two teams. It looks to be a green wicket, similar to the one which the men's Test was played on a few weeks ago. The conditions will suit pace: Katherine Brunt and Georgia Elwiss for England, and Ellyse Perry and Holly Ferling for Australia, will be looking for early breakthroughs. Back in England, both sides played defensively throughout the drawn Test; this is not a pitch which will allow for such tactics. Meg Lanning, Australia's newly appointed vice-captain, agrees. "I really do think there'll be a result here this time," she said. "I think that just being at the WACA, and the pace and bounce, the game will always be moving. We'll see some really attacking cricket being played."

The Players

Both the England and Australia squads look similar to those that competed for the Ashes in England last year. Heather Knight, England's Wormsley centurion, missed the recent tour of the Caribbean but she is now well and truly back to match fitness, hitting an unbeaten 123 in the two-day warm-up match against Australia A, and will again open for England in the Test. Brunt and Anya Shrubsole, who also missed the West Indies tour through injury, will be England's opening bowling partnership throughout the series, assuming both remain fit. That is a big if, though: they bowled just eight and nine overs respectively in Perth. Match fitness in a multi-format series is an even more important factor and could prove the decider.

England are not short of second-change pace bowlers, though: Elwiss, back from injury having not played since the World Cup in India last year, will have an important role to play on the bouncier pitches and Natalie Sciver will almost certainly play in all three formats, fresh from her T20 hat-trick against New Zealand in Barbados. England, crucially, also have the run-machine that is Edwards in their armoury: Perth will be her 12th Ashes Test, second only to one other woman.

One problem for England may be their lack of spin options, with Holly Colvin having made herself unavailable and Laura Marsh still injured. Australia have no such issues: their first-choice spinner, Erin Osborne, has had an excellent season for New South Wales, taking 10 wickets in the WNCL at an average of 12.50. Jess Jonassen, who will come in to play in the ODIs and T20s, is also bowling well and took 2 for 45 in the warm-up match.

Jonassen may also be picked at least partly for her batting - she hit 43 against England's bowlers in the same match - as may Elyse Villani, who has 494 runs in the T20 Cup this season. Nicole Bolton has also been selected in the 14-man squad on the basis of her exceptional batting this season, and may well open in the Test, while also offering a back-up offspin option.

In terms of pace for Australia, Perry is certain to take the new ball throughout the series, with Ferling, Megan Schutt and Sarah Coyte all in contention for bowling spots alongside her. In Rene Farrell they also have an experienced Ashes player returning to the side for the first time since the 2011 Test in Sydney, when she took 5 for 23 in England's second innings, including a hat-trick, and helped win the Test for Australia. The Southern Stars will be hoping she can emulate this over the coming days.

Stats and trivia

• 2014 marks the 80th anniversary of the first ever women's Test match, played in December 1934 in Brisbane on England's tour of Australia.
• The WACA has hosted two previous women's Tests, in 1958 and in 1984. Both were drawn.
• When Charlotte Edwards leads her team out, she will have played in more Ashes Tests than anyone aside from Myrtle Maclagan, who leads the list on 12. Edwards has captained in 3 of them.
• Edwards needs just 103 runs to overtake Jan Brittin's total of 1024 in Ashes Test runs and become the leading Ashes run-scorer; and only 47 runs to make her the second-highest run-scorer ever in women's Tests.

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Manzoor makes use of lifeline

Question marks will continue to hang over Khurram Manzoor's technique, but the opener fought it out to score 73 on a day when few of his team-mates could put bat on ball

There are few batsmen in the Pakistan side who can safely be called technically sound, and Khurram Manzoor isn't one of them. He might not have the prettiest technique, but it worked well enough for him to score 73 on a day when barely any of his team-mates managed to put bat on ball. On a day dominated by Sri Lanka's seam attack, Pakistan lost their last eight wickets for 58 runs to be bowled out for 165.

Pakistan's top order has been in transition for ages, and they have tried a number of opening combinations over the years. As one of four openers in this squad, Manzoor himself was facing the axe. Since scoring 146 against South Africa in Abu Dhabi more than three months ago, his visits to the crease in Test cricket before this innings had yielded him scores of 4, 0, 0, 21 and 8. It was expected that Shan Masood would replace Manzoor for this Test. But the team management gave him another chance, and they would have been pleased with the manner in which he grabbed it.

For all that, it wasn't a particularly fluent innings, and didn't entirely answer the questions about his technique that have dogged him right since the time he was dropped after his seventh Test - in Hobart in January 2010 - with a record reading 326 runs at 29.63. He returned, after a gap of nearly four years, and has since scored 373 runs at 33.90 in six Tests in which his fortunes have swung dramatically. In the two-Test series against South Africa, for instance, he followed up a match-winning century in the first Test with a pair in the second.

At the Dubai International Stadium today, Manzoor spent 214 similarly fluctuating minutes at the crease. He oscillated between fluent drives and streaky edges through the slips, and looked shaky even after he had crossed 50.

"It wasn't easy out there. The toss was vital because the pitch is helping seam bowlers," Manzoor said. "The ball was seaming exceptionally and it was tough and this is the reason why we all struggled. Also credit should be given to the Sri Lanka bowlers. I took time and was positive and that's why I got runs and that's all I have been thinking, to stay positive."

Having witnessed batsmen come and go at the other end, he seemed set to get to a hundred, having smacked three successive boundaries off Nuwan Pradeep and a six over mid-on off Rangana Herath. An injudicious poke at an away-going ball from Suranga Lakmal, however, ended his innings at 73.

The innings might not have stalled Sri Lanka's charge, but it should help Manzoor retain his place for the next Test in Sharjah. Beyond that, Manzoor will have to show he can kick on from this knock and produce a sustained run of good scores. He won't want this to become just another spike in a wildly fluctuating career graph.

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BCB acts to calm Sri Lanka safety doubts

The Bangladesh Cricket Board could make several concessions, including changing venues, to ensure Sri Lanka's tour of the country goes ahead as scheduled later this month despite security concerns. Senior officials of the two boards are due to meet on the sidelines of the ICC executive board meeting in Dubai on January 9, and one of the proposals that could be made by Bangladesh is to stage all the matches in Dhaka.

Sources within the BCB suggest the board has spoken to security agencies in the country and the idea of a single-venue series - though the least favoured option - has been discussed at top levels. While it is possible to stage all the matches in Dhaka, the BCB is aware of the message that will send out and its acting CEO, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, has officially denied such a proposal exists.

The security situation in Bangladesh, the fallout of prolonged political instability, has been the subject of intense discussion in the cricket world with two multi-nation tournaments - the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20 - and the bilateral series with Sri Lanka scheduled to be staged in the country over the next three-odd months. While the Asia Cup has been cleared to be staged there in February-March, the World Twenty20 and the Sri Lanka series may yet see changes.

Though Sri Lanka Cricket has denied making any sort of requests based on safety issues, it will send a security team to Dhaka on January 13. There is also talk of dropping Sylhet as a venue as it would entail more traveling for the two sides for a single ODI in the northeastern town. But the BCB are eager to keep all three venues if possible, to give a brighter picture of the security situation across the country.

They now has more time to convince the tourists. SLC had previously said it would make a decision on the tour during the ICC meeting in Dubai but has since said it will send a two-man committee to Bangladesh to assess the situation on the ground. Former SLC CEO Ajit Jayasekara - an Air Commodore with the Sri Lanka Air Force - and vice-president Mohan de Silva will leave for Bangladesh on Monday, incumbent CEO Ashley de Silva said.

"We haven't sent any requests to [the BCB], but we are sending our former CEO and vice-president to Bangladesh on Monday to assess the current situation," de Silva said. "Once that has been assessed we will make a decision about whether we need to change the itinerary.

"We have to make the final decision before January 15 because the team is supposed to go on January 24. I'm not sure if it will be discussed at the ICC meeting on the January 9, but basically that's where we stand right now."

SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga had earlier said Sri Lanka would seek to honour its commitment to the tour if possible, because Bangladesh had been among the teams eager to tour Sri Lanka during its own conflict. The board is unlikely to take security threats lightly however, given the Sri Lanka team were victims of a terrorist attack in Lahore, in 2009.

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Johnson to rest, Bailey seeks his best

Mitchell Johnson will be the first of Australia's Test players to be rested in the upcoming one-day series against England, but George Bailey will be one Ashes winner keen to take every opportunity to play. Bailey is the only member of Australia's unchanged XI throughout the Ashes whose Test position could be considered in danger ahead of next month's tour of South Africa, and there is no Sheffield Shield cricket for him to regain form before the trip.

In the lead-up to the Ashes in Australia, the selectors made it clear that one-day form on October's tour of India would be considered in picking the Test squad and Bailey's remarkable ODI efforts in India earned him the No.6 place for the Gabba Test. Bailey made batting contributions through the series, including 53 in Adelaide and 46 in Sydney, but his average of 26.14 reflected his status as the weakest link in the top seven.

Alex Doolan joined the Test squad in Sydney but was overlooked as the selectors opted for another unchanged side, but what they do with the No.6 position in South Africa looms as the major selection decision. Bailey is Australia's vice-captain for the five ODIs against England, which begin in Melbourne on Sunday, and the matches will provide him with one last opportunity to find some runs before the Test squad is named.

"Every time you represent your country you're trying to play in all formats," Lehmann said on Thursday when asked about Bailey. "Every game, as we've talked about pre-summer and with the Indian one-day series, it's important for guys to make runs and take wickets."

One man whose Test place is under no scrutiny is Johnson, the Player of the Series in the 5-0 Ashes clean sweep. Although Johnson is part of the one-day squad the selectors have decided to rest him for the first match in Melbourne, with the intention that he will play the second ODI at the Gabba. Lehmann said several of the Test players would need a break at some point, but he wanted to avoid a situation like last summer when several high-profile men were all rested at the same time.

"It's obviously been a big summer for him so we're just giving him a short little break, making sure he's getting fresh for the other one-dayers as well [as the Tests]," Lehmann said of Johnson. "It's important we put the best side we possibly can out understanding it's been a hectic five Test matches and some of the Test boys especially are a bit weary.

"We'll sum it up as we go. We certainly don't want to go down the path previously where we've rested clumps of players. We want to pick and choose where we can do it. We want them to play in their home state and we want to make sure we're putting a good squad together looking ahead to the World Cup. This one-day format is very important for us."

The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is just over a year away and the opportunities to settle on a preferred line-up will be slim, with no ODIs on the tour of South Africa and then Australia spending most of their winter at home. As well as working out a first-choice attack, the top of the order also poses a number of possibilities with Shane Watson, David Warner, Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh all potential openers in this squad.

The series will also provide the first opportunity for James Pattinson to play international cricket since he suffered a back injury during the Ashes tour of England in July. Like Bailey, Pattinson will be hoping to press his case for selection on the Test tour of South Africa through the five one-day internationals over the coming weeks.

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Steyn recovering from rib injury

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn is suffering from a minor fracture to his rib but is set to recover in time for the home series against Australia, the first Test of which begins on February 12.

"During the second Test [against India] in Durban, Dale dived for the ball and he felt a bit of discomfort on the right side of his chest," South Africa's team doctor Mohammed Moosajee told Eyewitness News Sport. "He finished the Test unscathed and about two days after the match, he complained that the area was feeling quite tender.

"We proceeded to have an x-ray done, which didn't reveal much. A subsequent scan revealed a minor fracture of the eighth rib on the right hand side. He will be fit for Australia. We're quite confident that with this type of injury, he'll have time to recuperate and to recover fully."

Steyn took nine wickets in that Test, which South Africa won by ten wickets to take the series 1-0, and was Man of the Match. Australia are set to tour South Africa for three Tests and three T20 internationals from February 5 to March 14.

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Openers, pace bowlers worry Mushfiqur

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim wants his opening batsmen and pace bowlers to make best use of the two longer-version matches later this month. The Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), a first-class competition that starts next week, will provide the players match practice ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka, even if they get just two games each.

It will be the players' first taste of first-class cricket since the second Test of the home series against New Zealand nearly three months ago and Mushfiqur believes the longer format is the best place for Bangladesh to improve in two vital areas. Bangladesh's second opener and fast bowlers were ordinary against New Zealand, and he is worried that the middle order and the spinners will come under pressure if the trend continues.

Two partnerships of 39 were the best that the openers managed against New Zealand. Tamim Iqbal scored two half-centuries but Anamul Haque had a poor outing, which brought his place under question. Mushfiqur isn't keen on dumping Anamul but wants to see the young opener, who is averaging just 10.66 in three Tests, return to form.

"There's nothing better than match practice," Mushfiqur said. "BCL has the four best teams, which means the level of cricket will be quite good, and competitive. We haven't played Test cricket for a long time, so it will definitely help us. In terms of batting, we want the top-order give us a good start.

"Sometimes the entire batting line-up doesn't click so it is important to give a good start; what if there's a lower-order collapse? Tamim and [Anamul Haque] Bijoy know what to do. Bijoy in fact did well recently in the Twenty20 tournament, so I am hopeful of them coming good together."

Tamim has led a lone battle at the top of the order since scoring 53 and 84 on debut against New Zealand in 2008. Starting with those two innings in Dunedin, he has made 18 out of 21 scores of 50 or more by Bangladesh's openers, which includes all four of their centuries.

Tamim - and Bangladesh's openers, consequently - hasn't scored a century since his 103 at Old Trafford in June 2010. The last fifty to come from an opener other than Tamim was Nazimuddin's 78 against Pakistan in December 2011, but he has faded away swiftly since. The last 100-plus opening partnership came more than three years ago when Tamim and Imrul Kayes did it twice against England in 2010. Kayes isn't on the scene anymore but has been among the runs in domestic cricket recently.

Fast bowling is Mushfiqur's other concern. While Robiul Islam gave a glimmer of hope with his Man-of-the-Series performance in Zimbabwe, the same can't be said about the other seamers. Robiul was injured in the New Zealand series, prompting the team management to rest him for the second Test and the subsequent limited-overs leg. Over the two Tests, Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain took just two wickets in 60 overs.

Rubel, however, bowled well in the ODIs against New Zealand, famously picking up a hat-trick in a six-wicket haul in the first game. Al-Amin too has been in the news with his bowling in Twenty20s. But they need to come good in Test cricket, where Rubel averages 78 per wicket and Al-Amin has bowled in just one innings.

"The pace bowlers too need some work," Mushfiqur said. "There will be enough opportunities to better these areas in the two matches, and the practice sessions afterwards.

"We will look at pace bowling closely. They have to take at least eight of the 20 wickets needed to win a Test match. Otherwise the opponent will be planning very well against spin. [Robiul Islam] Shiplu bowled well away from home, Rubel [Hossain] is doing well and we also have Al-Amin [Hossain]. Even if they don't take wickets and just bowl economically, that would really help us."

In 2013, the selectors tried seven pace bowlers, of whom Robiul topped the wicket charts. Abul Hasan is on an extended injury layoff while Shahadat Hossain and Sajedul Islam were risked for just one Test each. Curiously, they have kept aside Ziaur Rahman, a seam-bowling allrounder who took four wickets in his debut Test in Zimbabwe. He has been labelled a limited-overs player, but Ziaur has shown a knack of contributing when it matters. Although a knee injury has cut down his pace drastically, he can still do a holding job in home conditions, with the added advantage of batting in the lower order.

Bangladesh's other source of confidence, according to Mushfiqur, is their recent record against Sri Lanka. The drawn Galle Test was the first between the two sides, after 12 straight Sri Lankan wins. Bangladesh also beat them at home in an ODI for the first time, levelling the 3-match ODI series.

"There isn't any fear factor," Mushfiqur said. "They have a good record against us but we are confident after doing well in their conditions last year. We now believe that we can do well against them. Throughout last year we have played well, so this is a chance for us to start the New Year on a good note."

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