Mushfiqur Rahim ruled out of Mirpur Test with hand injury

Mushfiqur Rahim has been ruled out of the first Test against West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur after injuring his hand in training, The Daily Star reports. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and chose to bat first.

The match runs from 28 October to 1 November. The second Test starts in Sylhet on 5 November, at 9:00 AM IST.

Why the Test matters

Bangladesh are fourth in the ICC World Test Championship standings with a point percentage of 55.56. To keep their hopes of reaching the final alive, they need to win at least four of their remaining six Tests and draw another, according to The Daily Star.

Head coach Phil Simmons has said the chance to play in the final is driving the team in this series. He also dismissed talk of turmoil in the camp after batting coach Mohammad Ashraful was removed, insisting the squad is focused on the series.

Bangladesh’s recent Tests

Bangladesh last played a Test on 9 October, when they drew with Afghanistan in the UAE, finishing on 372/7 in their second innings after making 346 in the first. Before that, they won a Test in Australia by 9 wickets on 13 August and lost the next one by an innings and 51 runs on 22 August.

West Indies

West Indies come into the Test after a tour of India. They lost the ODI of 6 October by 8 wickets, won the T20I of 9 October by 6 wickets, lost the one on 11 October by 14 runs and won the one on 14 October by 24 runs. The ODI on 17 October ended with no result because of rain.