Zimbabwe’s Ben Curran expects Bangladesh to come ‘hard’ in second Test

SYLHET: Zimbabwe’s top-order batter Ben Curran on Saturday, urged his team to maintain focus ahead of the second and final Test against Bangladesh, scheduled to commence on Sunday.

Zimbabwe, on Wednesday, registered their first victory in away Tests since 2018 by edging past Bangladesh by three wickets.

Coincidentally, their previous triumph had also come at the same venue and the opposition.

The African side also broke their record of the highest successful run chase in the process, surpassing their previous best of 162 which they achieved against Pakistan in November 1998.

Despite the historic victory in the series opener, Curran believes that the hosts would hard in the subsequent fixture and thus highlighted the need for his teammates to work hard in order to deliver alike performance.

"We are expecting Bangladesh to come really hard at us. We are not expecting this to be an easy game. We have to work hard for every moment. We can hopefully put in a similar performance to last game," Curran said.

The victory was also a personal milestone for Curran as it was his first Test victory since making the red-ball in early 2024.

The left-handed opener scored a modest 18 in the first innings but backed with an important 44-run knock which came in a crucial 95-run opening stand with Brian Bennett.

"It is a great feeling, having put in a lot of hard work leading into the series. Obviously, the series is not done. There's a big game to come in the next few days.’

"Winning Tests always gives guys confidence. Everyone is going to take different learning from the win in Sylhet. As long as we are prepared to move forward as individuals, we are in a good place.

"I am relatively new in international cricket so I am like a sponge trying to learn as much as I can from Sean and Craig. It will help my development. I will be silly if I didn't try to tap into their experience," he acknowledged.