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CHEVRONS coach, Lalchand Rajput, says Bangladesh will be under pressure in the one-off Test that begins tomorrow as the Tigers are desperate to come out of a series of successive defeats.

Bangladesh’s performance, in the recent matches, has been quite dismal in the longer format of the game.

They have lost their last six Test matches on a trot, which includes five innings defeats.

“Obviously, any team losing continuously will be under pressure and they will be under more pressure as they are playing at home,” Rajput told reporters during a two-day practice match.

“Definitely, we are going put pressure on them because we (did) well here the last time and we will try to impose that pressure.

“In cricket, at the international level, the team that handles pressure well always wins and we will try to do that.’’

The Chevrons gaffer said they were taking inspiration from their last Test win against the hosts at Sylhet during their previous series in April 2018.

“The positive attitude will definitely go into the mind. As I said, we got to be positive in our approach, we can’t be negative,’’ he said.

“We got to go and put our front foot forward.”

Rajput said they will also draw inspiration from their last series against Sri Lanka where they fought neck-to-neck for five days.

“We just had a series against Sri Lanka which was a very good series for us, and in fact, we should have won the last Test match.

“At the end, taking a game to the fifth day is very important.

“I think, (against us) earlier people used to think “let’s go and finish the Test match in three days,” it’s not like that now.

“We want to compete hard, that’s what we are here for.

“I think we have worked very hard and we are trying to get to a level where we can compete against the top teams as well.

“It’s been a slow process but, still, we are getting there and we are improving in every tour and that is a very satisfying thing for Zimbabwe cricket.”

Rajput added he was looking forward to work with former captain, Hamilton Masakadza, who has joined Zimbabwe Cricket as the director of cricket.

“He (Hamilton) was the captain of our team and he knows the new players and what are the drawbacks of the team, which can be helpful,” he said.

“Being a cricketer always helps because communication and understanding is much better (with a cricketer).

“I am sure Hamilton, in years to come, will do a good job.”

Bangladesh pace bowler Mashrafe Murtaza will lead the country in the forthcoming three-match one-day international series against Zimbabwe despite uncertainty over his future.

Mashrafe has not represented Bangladesh in any ODI since the ICC World Cup last year, and in January withdrew his name from a lucrative national team contract.

But Bangladesh Cricket Board officials said he would skipper the side despite his apparent lack of commitment.

“At this moment we don’t have a substitute for a captain like Mashrafe,” president Nazmul Hassan told reporters in Dhaka.

“If he is not fit, that is another issue.”

Hassan said while Mashrafe’s captaincy was vital to the team, it was also time for him to decide his future.

“We have to decide about our next captain very soon,” he said.

Mashrafe enjoys hero status in Bangladesh after taking the team from being international whipping boys to gaining respectability as a limited-overs side. —Cricbuzz/AFP.