WI hand Bishop his Test debut; Mushfiqur out with injury as Bangladesh bat

Dhaka — Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bat first against the West Indies in the opening Test of their two-match World Test Championship series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. The match buildup, however, was overshadowed by a late setback for the hosts, while the visitors handed a milestone opportunity to a rising spin prospect. Major Blow for Bangladesh as Mushfiqur Misses Out The biggest story heading into the toss was the sudden absence of Bangladesh’s veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim. The 106-Test veteran sustained a hand injury during a net session on Tuesday eve, ruling him out of the series opener. Coincidentally, the last time Mushfiqur missed a Test match was also against the West Indies in late 2024 due to an injury. In his absence, young middle-order batter Towhid Hridoy has been drafted into the playing XI. Bangladesh made two changes in total to their side, with left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam coming in alongside Hridoy, replacing Mushfiqur and Ebadot Hossain. Joshua Bishop Earns West Indies Cap For the West Indies, the headline inclusion is 26-year-old left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop, who makes his Test debut. Bishop joins Jomel Warrican and all-rounder Roston Chase in a versatile spin department crafted specifically for the subcontinental conditions. The Caribbean side opted to rest veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach, relying instead on a pace trio featuring Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, and all-rounder Justin Greaves. Behind the stumps, Amir Jangoo takes up the wicketkeeping duties in place of Shai Hope, who skipped the tour. Team Line-ups & Tactical Setup Both teams have aligned their playing XIs to suit the spin-friendly nature expected in Dhaka: Bangladesh Playing XI: Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam. West Indies Playing XI: John Campbell, Brandon King, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo (wk), Roston Chase (capt), Justin Greaves, Joshua Bishop, Shamar Joseph, Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales. With Bangladesh fielding a triple-spin combination of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, and Nayeem Hasan, the hosts will look to post a commanding first-innings total to put the West Indies under early pressure.