“I’m trying not to get dismissed even when I bat on the nets. I’m trying to bat as long as possible,” Saif told the media on Thursday.

Saif got the Test cap in the first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan, but he failed to impress as he suffered a duck in his maiden Test innings before coming up with 16 runs in the second innings.

“I was nervous in the first innings (of my debut Test) but faced no problem in the second innings. The ball was low (what he was dismissed by). I tried to manage it but failed. I should have concentrated more,” Saif added.

“We should not underestimate any team at the international level. The preparation is going well. We’ve to play our best cricket against Zimbabwe to win the game,” Saif further told the media.

Saif Hassan is the fifth opening partner of Tamim Iqbal in Bangladesh’s 39 innings in the last three years. Overall, Bangladesh have played 10 different opening pairs in the last 39 innings, which is clear evidence of Bangladesh’s fragility at the top of the order in Test cricket. Saif said he is upbeat to make a long-standing partnership with Tamim.

“It was my dream to open the innings with Tamim Bhai (brother) since my childhood. The dream came true. Now, I’m looking forward to making a long-standing opening pair with him,” Saif added.

Emphasizing performance as it matters much, Saif said “I might be dropped if I fail to deliver good performance in two-three matches on a row. But if I play a good brand of cricket, I’ll have a permanent place in the team.”