Bangladesh elect to bat against West Indies in first Test at Mirpur
Najmul Hossain Shanto chose to bat after winning the toss, with Mushfiqur Rahim absent through injury and Bangladesh still chasing a place in the World Test Championship final.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and chose to bat against West Indies in the first of two Tests at Mirpur on 28 October, according to the Associated Press. The match begins a series in which Bangladesh still have an outside chance of reaching the World Test Championship final.
Bangladesh are without senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim because of a hand injury, AP reported. RTV Online said he was struck by a ball during net practice and listed Towhid Hridoy in the playing XI. AP also reported the return of wicketkeeper-batter Liton Das, who missed Bangladesh’s recent one-day international series in the United Arab Emirates. RTV’s XI includes both Hridoy and Das.
Bangladesh’s spin attack and World Test Championship position
Bangladesh selected offspinner Nayeem Hasan alongside Mehidy Hasan Miraz and left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, strengthening their spin attack, AP reported. Business Times Bangladesh also named Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam as the side’s pace bowlers. The selection gives Bangladesh three specialist spin options for the opening Test at Mirpur.
Business Times Bangladesh placed Bangladesh fourth in the World Test Championship standings and said they needed at least four wins from their remaining six Tests to stay in contention for the final. Shanto said before the series that the team’s immediate focus was winning the Mirpur Test rather than dwelling on qualification calculations, according to the outlet.
Bangladesh have won three of their previous six Tests, AP reported, including a 2-0 series sweep against Pakistan and a Test victory in Australia. After the two matches against West Indies, their schedule includes two Tests in South Africa and two at home against England. Those fixtures account for the remaining matches in the qualification calculation reported by Business Times Bangladesh.
West Indies’ selection and remaining target
West Indies included allrounder Justin Greaves in their starting XI despite a recent injury scare, AP reported. Business Times Bangladesh placed the visitors eighth in the championship standings and said they were aiming to finish the cycle among the top five. RTV Online reported that they were out of contention for the final, leaving their position in the standings as the remaining championship target described by the local outlets.
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Sources and context
- Bangladesh wins the toss and bats against West Indies in the first cricket testAssociated Press, carried by Yahoo Sports
- Bangladesh Elect to Bat Against West Indies, Mushfiqur Ruled OutBusiness Times Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Bat First After Winning Toss, Mushfiqur Excluded from XIRTV Online
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.