Bangladesh's Test record stays inauspicious notwithstanding a stellar change in ODI cricket which saw the Tigers posted arrangement wins against Pakistan, India and South Africa taking after their first-ever appearance in the quarter-finals of the World Container held in Australia and New Zealand.
The Asian minnows have won only seven of their past 91 Tests, with five of them against kindred strugglers Zimbabwe and the staying two against an under-quality West Indies side.
Be that as it may, much the same as in the shorter organization, an upward pattern is likewise unmistakable in Tests subsequent to January 2013, when Bangladesh played 16 Tests, lost only six, won four and drew the rest.
Amid the period, they cleared Zimbabwe 3-0 and oversaw respectable draws against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan and India, for the most part at home.
Presently confronted with the overwhelming prospect of handling top-positioned South Africa, Bangladesh see a draw as a practical target.
"I think a batting-accommodating pitch would be best for us," said opening batsman Imrul Kayes. "On the off chance that we can score more than 400 runs the amusement will head towards a draw.
"Against the most obvious Test group on the planet, a draw would be a major accomplishment.
"The group is in a decent beat. We won the last four ODI arrangement at home. I imagine that in the event that we can recreate our ODI shape in the Tests, there will be something useful for Bangladesh."
South Africa will hope to skip once more from their humiliating 1-2 thrashing in the first ODI arrangement, where they were drubbed by overwhelming edges of seven wickets and nine wickets in the last two matches.
Fearsome quick bowler Dale Styen heads a gathering of eight players back in the fight in the wake of missing the ODI arrangement, who mentor Russell Domingo said will add new vitality to the group.
"We need to proceed onward," Domingo told the Cricket South Africa site.
"It was a disillusioning completion to our one-day arrangement in the wake of beginning admirably in the T20's," Domingo said, alluding to their 2-0 win in Twenty20 worldwide arrangement before the ODIs.
"We have eight new players here which is constantly awesome; there is new vitality, new thoughts and some involvement with fellows like Dale (Steyn) joining the side."
The Proteas, who are in a modifying procedure taking after the retirement of Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Alviro Petersen as of late, will miss the administrations of batting backbone Stomach muscle de Villiers.
De Villiers, who flew back home after Twenty20s, was offered a reprieve from the ODI and Test arrangement for individual reasons, snapping an unbroken keep running of 98 successive Tests.
The second and last Test will be played in Dhaka from July 30 to August 3.
Bangladesh (from): Mushfiqur Rahim (skipper), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Litton Das, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Nasir Hossain, Taijul Islam, Jubair Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Shahid, Mustafizur Rahman.
South Africa (from): Hashim Amla (capt), Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, Quinton de Kock, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Senior member Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Stiaan van Zyl, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Simon Harmer, Temba Bavuma, Dane Vilas.