No Mushfiqur as Tigers bat in first Test against West Indies

Published : 28 October 2026

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Updated : 28 October 2026, 10:34

Star Sports Report

PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED

**Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bat first against the West Indies in the opening Test of the two-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur today.**Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim was ruled out of the match after sustaining a hand injury, dealing a blow to the Tigers ahead of the series opener.Bangladesh made two changes to their playing XI, with Towhid Hridoy coming in for the injured Mushfiqur, while Shoriful Islam replaced Ebadot Hossain.Mushfiqur was hit on the hand during training yesterday. Although sources within the team management had initially indicated that there were no major concerns, the veteran batter was surprisingly left out of the playing XI. An official statement regarding his injury is yet to be issued.The Tigers have retained all three spinners who featured in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi recently -- Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan and Taijul Islam.Bangladesh will be desperate to put their disappointing tour of the UAE behind them as they look to get their Test campaign back on track.Following a frustrating draw in a one-off Test against Afghanistan, the Tigers suffered defeats in both matches of the ODI tri-series against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan by considerable margins.However, the prospect of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final could provide Bangladesh with added motivation heading into the two-Test series against the Caribbean side.Shanto said on Tuesday that the possibility of reaching the WTC final was an inspiration for his team, although he insisted that the players were not feeling any added pressure.Bangladesh, currently fourth in the WTC standings, have six Tests remaining in the current cycle, including the series opener against the West Indies in Mirpur.Former champions Australia lead the standings, followed by New Zealand, while reigning champions South Africa occupy third place.The Tigers will need to win at least four of their remaining six Tests and draw another to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive. The WTC final is scheduled to take place at The Oval from June 9 to 13.Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Tawhid Hridoy, Litton Das (wicketkeeper), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful IslamWest Indies: Jonathan Campbell, Brandon King, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo (wicketkeeper), Roston Chase (captain), Justin Greaves, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph, Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales