DHAKA, Oct. 28 — Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bat first in the opening Test against the West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, though the hosts suffered a significant pre-match setback with stalwart batter Mushfiqur Rahim sidelined by a practice injury.
Speaking at the toss, Shanto confirmed that the veteran wicketkeeper-batter failed a morning fitness assessment following a blow sustained during net practice on Tuesday. While preliminary X-ray scans revealed no structural fracture, persistent swelling and discomfort forced team management to withdraw Mushfiqur from the playing XI. Young middle-order batter Towhid Hridoy, who earned his Test debut against Zimbabwe in June, was drafted into the lineup as his replacement.
The injury revives memories of Bangladesh’s 2024 tour of the Caribbean, where Mushfiqur was similarly forced out of the series after sustaining a finger fracture.
Capitalising on the traditionally dry and abrasive Mirpur surface, Bangladesh structured an aggressive spin-heavy bowling attack. The hosts fielded a three-man specialist spin contingent led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, and Nayeem Hasan, supported by frontline seamers Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam with the new ball.
West Indies captain Roston Chase noted that his side was prepared to bowl first and look to exploit early morning moisture before confronting the subcontinent’s turning conditions with a balanced blend of pace and spin.