In a twist in the ongoing Test series against the West Indies at North Sound, Mehidy Hasan Miraz has taken over as captain of the Bangladesh cricket team. This unexpected shift in leadership comes in light of regular skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto’s absence, who has been sidelined due to a groin strain.
The series commenced with a Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, where Bangladesh won the toss and chose to field. By the close of day one, Bangladesh had claimed five West Indies wickets for 250 runs. Steering the team for the first time in a Test match, Miraz put on a commendable performance with the ball, bowling 16 overs and securing a wicket for 47 runs.
Notable performances from the West Indies included near-centuries from Mikyle Louis (97) and Alick Athanaze (90). Among the Bangladeshi bowlers, Taskin Ahmed stood out with figures of 2/46. The injury to Shanto, sustained during the second ODI against Afghanistan, was confirmed by Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) medical team to be a Grade II strain, necessitating rest and rehab.
In addition to Shanto, veteran player Mushfiqur Rahim is also out of the series with a finger injury. Youngster Shahadat Hossain has been drafted in as Shanto’s replacement. With four Tests under his belt, Hossain has an average of 14.75 from 118 runs.
Following this series, the two teams will proceed to Kingston, Jamaica, for the second Test. The West Indies tour continues with three ODIs and three T20Is, wrapping up on December 19. Bangladesh is yet to announce its squad for the limited-overs matches.
(With inputs from agencies.)
