Nahid Rana doubtful for Australia Tests after injury rules him out of Zimbabwe decider

DHAKA: Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana is set to miss the third and deciding T20I against Zimbabwe on Saturday after suffering a side strain, casting serious doubt over his availability for next month's Test tour of Australia.

The 23-year-old sustained the injury during the second T20I against Zimbabwe after producing a career-best T20I performance of 4-26 in the series opener.

Rana was forced to leave the field after bowling just 2.3 overs in the second match, finishing with figures of 1-15. He is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.

A member of Bangladesh's national selection panel confirmed that the pacer will definitely miss the series decider while the team awaits the results of a scan to determine the extent of the injury.

"He is certainly missing the third T20I against Zimbabwe, and we feel the side strain will take at least two to three weeks to recover," the selector said.

"We are waiting for the scan report while keeping our fingers crossed, as we still have some time before the first Test against Australia."

"The way he is bowling at the moment, missing him on the Australia tour would be a major blow. We are waiting to assess the severity of the injury and how long his recovery will take," he added.

Rana is now in a race against time to prove his fitness for the opening Test against Australia, which is scheduled to begin in Darwin on August 13.

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and the national selectors met at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday to discuss preparations for the Australia series, with Rana's fitness emerging as one of the key topics.

The right-arm quick has become an integral part of Bangladesh's pace attack in recent months, making his potential absence a significant concern ahead of the two-match Test series.

The opening Test in Darwin will be followed by the second and final Test in Mackay, starting on August 22.