The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Chittagong

Bangladesh faces strong South Africa today (Friday) in the 2nd test of the two-match Warid Test Series at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Ruhul Amin Stadium in Chittagong.

Earlier, in the 1st test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh conceded a five-wicket defeat against the Proteas to trail the series 1-0 despite having a chance to make a major upset.

Addressing a press conference at a city hotel Thursday, Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful said they would focus on batting so that the match rolls into five days.

He hoped that his fellow batsmen would not repeat the same mistake what they did in the 1st test and they would be able to come out from the batting failure.

Echoing Ashraful's sentiment, South African skipper Graeme Smith said they too would not repeat the mistakes they did in the 1st test.

But, the South African captain alerted his teammates to be serious about the match as he said they are not taking the hosts lightly as they have some talented performers like Junaed Siddequi and Shahadat Hossain Rajib.

Veteran local spinner Mohammad Rafique will play his last test tomorrow with a hope to reach his landmark of 100 wickets as he has already 98 wickets in his account.